


Believe in Me

by SC630



Category: Persona 5
Genre: character list will be updated as chapters are posted, late night drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SC630/pseuds/SC630
Summary: It’s now do or die. Running isn't an option anymore and a very dangerous plan is being set in motion. Before Akira walks into a future with an unknown fate he meets with his trusted confidants and ensures that they all do one thing, no matter what. Believe.*some spoilers for November*
Comments: 14
Kudos: 60





	1. Hierophant

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me from a dialogue choice you can make while talking with Sojiro on 10/27 when he tells Akira not to do anything dangerous or reckless; "Believe in Me."  
> It really stood out to me and made me want to explore the build up to 11/19 as well as how the confidants felt when news of Akira's "death" hit them. Plus something had to compel them to text to see if he was actually dead or not, yeah? Anyway-

**~V~**

“Morning Boss.”

Sojiro looks up. “Morning kid. Breakfast’s ready.”

Akira walks over to the counter and takes a seat, setting his bag on the chair next to him. “Thanks.”

The pair fall into a comfortable silence as Sojiro continues his morning prep.

“Today’s the day.” Akira says, taking a bite of the curry. He savors the taste more than usual. He may not feel this warmth for quite some time.

Or ever again.

“Hm? _Oh_ that?” 

“Yeah. Might be the last one we do.”

“Yeah? Thank goodness. Taking my advice for once?”

Akira shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee. _Hm._ _Colombian Narino_. “Something like that.”

Morgana shuffles in his bag.

Sojiro sighs. “I know you guys have done a lot of good with this phantom thief business. Social reform for this country was long overdue and I can see you guys have touched a lot of lives, saved them even. Hell, you guys even saved my daughter so just know that I’ll be forever grateful for that. But this is coming to a head and now you’re all coming up against dangerous people. I’d rather you come home a normal high school student after this final job rather than...than..” Sojiro swallows harshly, emotions he claims he didn't have threatening to prove otherwise.

“I know.” Akira simply replies, taking another bite of the curry. _It’s come down to this, but we will overcome it._

The trickster within him wouldn’t accept anything less.

“Remember what I told you not too long ago?” He eventually speaks up.

Sojiro chuckles. “You’ve told me a lot of things, kid. You can’t expect this old fart to remember everything these days. I’m lucky that I still know how to make curry.”

Akira hummed. “Well, when the time comes, it’ll come to you.”

Sojiro quirked a brow, his expression changing to a hard frown. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Akira smiles. “Don’t worry too much about it.” He finishes off his curry and coffee and stands up. “I’m gonna head out after I do the dishes. Don’t want to be late.”

“Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll take care of them. What time should I expect you back here tonight?”

“I dunno, but not tonight.”

Before Sojiro could respond, Akira was already out the door. 

“Weird kid…” 

**~V~**

_“_ _Breaking news: Reports are coming in that the leader of the phantom thieves has committed suicide!”_

Sojiro couldn’t help it. The cup in his hand slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

“Sakura-san! Are you okay?” One of the customers stood up with a handful of napkins to help clean up the mess.

“No, no. It’s fine, I got it. Can’t be liable if you slip and fall or cut yourself.” Sojiro said. With shaky legs, he made his way to the bathroom to fetch the broom and dustpan, along with the mop. He struggled to get his breathing under control. 

There...had to be some kind of mistake right? When did this even happen? How did it happen?

_“What time should I expect you back tonight?”_

_“I dunno, but not tonight.”_

Sojiro didn’t dwell on those words for long, not really thinking much of them. Just chalked it up to the kid being weird. He just...

Now that he thought it about it, it dawned on him that he heard something on the news last night about the leader of the phantom thieves being arrested. Sojiro began to chastise him for not heeding his advice after all. But after some self-reflection he quickly began to scold himself.

He should have suspected something when Akira didn't come home last night. Moreover, there was no sign of him in the attic. As part of his routine, Akira always sat at the counter for a breakfast of coffee and curry. Sometimes the two of them having a pleasant conversation or playful banter. How did he not realize that he didn't see Akira's face this morning? He cursed his aging brain.

But was caused further pain in his heart was this: He did it again. 

He ignored the signs. _Again_. Those vague words, they were a subtle warning. Perhaps even a cry for help. But he ignored them, writing them off as nothing more than being eccentric for the sake of it.

Just like with Wakaba…

_“I might die a strange death.”_

Sojiro gripped the broom tightly as he swept the bits of broken glass.

_“The leader of the phantom thieves has committed suicide!”_

He was given a second chance and he failed. He wondered if he even deserved forgiveness at this point...

Sojiro was broken out of his despressed trance by the buzzing in his pocket. He placed some paper towels on the floor to soak up the spilled coffee and pulled out his cell. It was a message from...Futaba?

**Futaba: Clear out Leblanc, no time to explain.**

He almost texted back to ask why but thought better against it. With how urgent this text sounded, he wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway, especially out of her.

“Sorry folks, gotta close up shop early for the night.”

“It’s not a problem, Boss. You seem pretty rattled anyway. There’s a little extra on the table for you. Have a good night.”

“Feel better Sakura-san.”

Once the customers left he flipped the sign to “closed” and continued to clean up. After some time, Futaba and the rest of the crew walked into Leblanc. 

_Minus one..._

“Futaba? Are you alright? What’s going on?” Sojiro asked.

He took a good look at everyone. While everyone was a mixed bag of emotions, there was one thing they all had in common.

Determination.

Hell, even the cat looked determined.

“Sorry Boss, we needed a safe place to talk.” Ryuji said.

“Safe? What-?” Sojiro groaned and squeezed the bridge of his nose. The fact that he had more questions than answers was beginning to aggravate him. “I’ll leave the store to you then. There’s still some curry on the stove so you’re all free to help yourselves. Clean up after yourselves and lock the door.”

“Will do.” Futaba replied.

Sojiro grabbed his jacket and hat and left the store. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He lit one then leaned against a wall and took a deep drag. He held in the smoke before exhaling it out slowly.

_“Remember what I told you not too long ago?”_

_Just what DID he say? What was he getting at? Why bring it up now? None of this made sense!_

_“Well when the time comes, it’ll come to you.”_

_Isn’t now the time? What was he trying to say?_

Sojiro’s head hurt.

He stomped out his cigarette before continuing to walk home. Once he got in, he made sure that he at least remembered to lock his door. 

With his thoughts still muddled and hectic, sleep didn’t come easy.

When he returned to Leblanc the next morning he found that Ryuji, Futaba, and Morgana had spent the night in the attic. Futaba took up space on Akira’s bed while Ryuji had taken the sofa, Morgana using his chest as a pillow.

He wanted to wake them up but after yesterday he knew everyone was just trying to put on a brave face. He could tell that they were drained physically, mentally and emotionally. Anybody would be after losing a close friend. 

How they were still pushing on, he may never know.

**~V~**

Ryuji eventually woke up and left to go to school while Futaba and Morgana remained upstairs. There was a steady amount of customers to keep his mind occupied but his thoughts continued to run rampant during moments of downtime.

_“Remember what I told you not too long ago?_

_“When the time comes…”_

His thoughts were once again interrupted by the buzzing in his pocket. It was a message from a familiar name that immediately made his blood boil.

**Sae: Are you available? I need a moment of your time.**

Sojiro didn’t hesitate to fire back a response.

**Sojiro: How many times am I going to say it? I don’t have any more information for you people!**

**Sae: It’s not about that.**

**Sae: I have…**

**Sae: A delivery.**

_...The hell?_

**Sojiro: I didn’t order anything.**

**Sae: …**

**Sae: Sakura-san...**

**Sae: I just...need to make sure he's dropped off safely.**

_He? She didn’t mean…_

His heart beat hard against his ribcage.

_“...it’ll come to you.”_

**Sojiro: I’ll be right there.**

He made his way to the attic, taking two steps at a time. When he arrived, he found Futaba playing some video games, the cat sitting rather unnaturally next to her in a chair of his own.

“Futaba, I need a favor. I know this is a big step, but do you mind keeping an eye on the store? I need to head out for a moment. If any customers come in just tell them I just needed to handle some business.” 

“No problem.”

Sojiro couldn’t help but be taken back. That was surprisingly easy.

As Sojiro darted back down the stairs he missed the smirk that creeped onto Futaba’s face.

She pulled out her phone and immediately opened the group chat. Taking care to subtract one from it.

**Futaba: Come to Leblanc straight after school.**

**~V~**

Everything that happened after was a blur and Sojiro was surprised his heart was able to handle it all.

An hour after their text exchange, Sae had arrived in a taxi and exited the car just as Sojiro walked over.

“I need a hand. He’s been dozing in and out the whole trip here. He needs to sleep off whatever was injected into him.”

When she opened the door, Sojiro nearly fell to his knees, his blood running cold before immediately thawing.

There he was. Akira. Known delinquent and supposed dead leader of the phantom thieves, slumped over but breathing. Alive. 

Though he’s clearly seen better days. At first glance, Sojiro could tell that this kid was beyond exhausted. The bruises weren't missed by him either, especially the marks on his wrists. Those definitely came from handcuffs. Handcuffs that were fitted _far_ too tight.

“Hey Boss.” Akira muttered with a small smile, his eyes glazing over.

Sojiro reached into the car and grabbed his arm. It was warm. It was solid. 

_It was real._

With Sae’s help he was able to get Akira inside his home and onto his bed. Once he was tucked in asleep, Sojiro then turned to Sae.

“What the hell happened? Do you know what’s going on?” 

“I don’t think I know any more than you do! I was...simply following orders…”

“Orders from who?” 

"I don't know!" There was a hint of frustation in her voice and Sojiro could wholeheartedly sympathize. “I can’t make head or tail of this. _Any_ of this." She sighed. "I can only hope I get some answers soon.”

Sojiro scratched the back of his head as he glanced at Akira's sleeping form. _Still breathing._ “Yeah, same here.”

After Sae promised that he would look after him for a while, Sojiro told her to help herself to anything in his home and hesitantly decided to return to the store. But he once he went back he decided to close up early for the day. Along with feeling like his mind was so muddled that he'd likely manage to goof up making a cup of coffee, Akira’s friends, The Phantom Thieves, were also up in his attic. He wouldn’t take any chances on either of those. 

This whole situation was nothing short of pure insanity. Never once did he expect his past to crop up again and for everything to weave into each other. Every little thing seemed to be connected. And he felt like there was still more to come.

Sojiro lamented at the fact that he took in such a troublesome kid.

But did he regret it? Not even in the slightest.

As he watched the continued news coverage, the words that Akira wanted him to remember suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. It was the morning after they had their big discussion the night prior. Certain truths were revealed, and a new promise was made. Guilt...advice...

_"Immediately back out of a fight you can't win."_

...

_“Just don’t become desperate and do something reckless all right?”_

_“Believe in me.”_

Believe…

Sojiro couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he finally realized what Akira was trying to say. It was something so simple all along. If he had just done so, he would have already known that the phantom thieves were never even close to losing to begin with. If anything, they were just about to turn things in their favor. And they did.

What a strange kid.

His phone vibrated on the counter.

**Akira: Okay to head over?**

**Sojiro: Yeah, I’ll come get you.**

Sojiro took his leave after Sae walked in, leaving her to inform the rest of Akira’s impending arrival. _His return._

Sojiro made it to his home, just as Akira was stepping out. “Make sure that’s locked.”

Akira did so and the pair began the short walk back to Leblanc

“You know kid, that thing you wanted me to remember?” Sojiro spoke up, “It finally came to me.”

“And?”

“Needless to say, I believe in you now more than ever. Probably more than I ever will. Just remind this old man to never doubt you again.”

“Told you it’d eventually come to you.” Akira said with a smirk.

Sojiro playfully ruffled his hair. “Come on, everyone’s waiting.”


	2. Fortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been fascinated by this detail where if you talk to Chihaya outside her confidant, the little fortunes she tells foreshadows future or potential storyline events (like the empress showing up when Haru joins the party or Death consistently showing up around the time you do Sae's palace). 
> 
> So naturally I went overboard with it here. You've been warned.

**~X~**

_11/18/20xx_

**Chihaya: Kurusu-kun?**

**Chihaya: I’ve been curious about you so I read your fortune again.**

**Chihaya: No matter how many times I read it, all I keep seeing is Death, each time it has a more staggering presence.**

**Chihaya: Some of the other arcana like Justice and Fool are even showing up reversed.**

**Chihaya: Are you sure you’re okay?**

Even now, Akira couldn’t help be impressed by Chihaya’s fortune telling skills. The holy stones were an abomination of a scam but her powers were overwhelmingly genuine.

Almost frighteningly so.

**Akira: I’m okay, promise.**

**Akira: Are you still open? I would like to speak with you.**

**Chihaya: I was about to close up shop, but I can make some time to talk elsewhere if you prefer?**

**Akira: Is it okay if we meet at Inokashira Park?**

**Chihaya: That’s fine. I’ll meet you there.**

**~** **X** **~**

“Have you been keeping up with the events in the news lately?”

“Not personally, but I’ve overheard some chatter from the people passing by. Some of my clients have mentioned it too, wanting me to read the fortune of the phantom thieves rather than their own.” Chihaya replied. "Sounds like quite the mess to be in."

Akira sighed. "To say the least." He leaned forward, elbows perched on his thighs.

 _"He's in much deeper thought tonight…_ "

“Death, huh?”

“Among other things.” Chihaya sighed. “Are you absolutely sure you’ll be okay? With how…persistent Death has been showing up in your fortune, I truly wonder about the path of your fate. It looks so...dark and hopeless.”

“Fate can be changed, can't it?” Akira asked.

Chihaya giggled. “You have shown me that several times over already.”

Akira smiled then nodded. “Then it should be okay.”

_Should...not will?_

“Death also represents change, right?”

Chihaya shook her head in affirmation. “But I don’t see anything regarding change for you. Death is always surrounded by the Fool and Justice who are reversed. Magician, Lovers, Chariot, Emperor, Empress and Priestess all seem so far away from you when they were once close. The Hermit that who once kept watch over you, seems to have shifted over to Judgement.”

Akira nodded, looking down at the ground. A few moments of silence passed.

"Can you do something for me?"

"Hm?"

Akira paused and leaned back up, sitting up straight. He made direct eye contact with Chihaya then spoke.

"Believe in me.”

“H-huh?”

“Believe in me. Whatever Death has waiting for me, I will overcome it. In exchange for this favor, that will be my promise to you.”

Something tingled in the back of her mind. Any questions she had immediately fizzled away.

“O-okay.”

Akira stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Do you still have your cards on you?”

“Oh, yes! It’s always good for an on the spot reading on the train.”

“May I see them?”

“Of course.” Chihaya reached into her bag and handed Akira the cards. Her jaw dropped when he began to shuffle them.

“They aren’t playing cards, you know!”

“I know.” Once Akira finished shuffling them he spread them out in his hands, cards facing down.

“Choose.”

“G-goodness gracious!” Chihaya groaned. “Fine.” She reached over and pulled out the rightmost card.

“Temperance?”

Before Chihaya could get another question out, Akira stacked the cards neatly on the bench then turned to leave. “Have a good night Chihaya-san. Don’t forget what I told you tonight.”

_The deal we made._

When Akira left, she picked up the cards again and picked them out one by one, laying them down on the bench.

“Hanged, Judgement and Death? The Hermit now presides over Fool and Judgement with the Fool at a crossroads and no longer reversed...? What could this mean? How did this...when did he-”

Chihaya spent a long time on the bench.

**~** **X** **~**

“Did you hear maiden? The leader of the phantom thieves committed suicide!”

"Wh-what?!" 

Now that she realized it, Chihaya noticed that people were abuzz more than usual today, but didn't properly grasp why.

"Good riddance if you ask me. The country is better off with one less criminal walking around. Especially a murderer. Thank you for the reading today!"

Chihaya barely registered what the man said or even acknowledged his departure. 

_"The leader of the phantom thieves committed suicide!"_

Chihaya quickly pulled out her phone to look it up. It was all she saw; news of his arrest then news of his suicide. He committed suicide while in police custody?

This...didn't seem real. It just _couldn't_ be real.

She had read his fortune once more this morning and two more times in the afternoon Hanged and Death remained almost frustratingly persistent. In real time, Fool flickered between reversed and normal with Hermit emanating a strange protective power over it. Judgement was in close proximity while Justice appeared almost uneasy, as if the scales had been finally tipped...

Has it changed again?

Chihaya immediately gathered her cards, placed them evenly on the table and turned them over.

Her heart sank into her stomach.

Death's presence was overwhelming and reversed. With no sign of hope or change, the only thing that remained was darkness.

“No this can't be! That's impossible!”

Chihaya did it over and over and over again with the same result. Hanged and Death were reversed. Fool was reversed. Everything was now reversed except Justice, who stood at the center beaming with self satisfaction. It didn’t make any sense!

She grabbed at her temple, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

Was he...was he really dead? 

_“Whatever Death has waiting for me....”_

“You promised…” Chihaya breathed out.

The tingling sensation in her mind returned. 

No this couldn’t be it. 

Something wasn't adding up. While still mysterious to her, Chihaya knew of his power. It was impossible for him to speak those words and for this to still happen.

Akira had made a deal with her but something was stopping her from doing her part to see it through.

Something was blocking her from seeing the truth.

Repeating his rather unorthodox methods from that night, she shuffled the cards, spread them out on the table faced down and chose to pick up the one in the middle.

_Tower..._

“I have to do this one more time. I need to see the truth!” She re-gathered all the cards and stacked them up neatly. 

Then slowly, one by one, she laid the cards back down on the table. 

"O divine power; allow me to see the true fate of one Akira Kurusu." She began to flip the cards over.

Suddenly everything was different.

“Wha-? Judgement and Fool. The Hermit presides over them both again. And Temperance is now a more dominant force!”

_“...I will overcome it.”_

Chihaya’s heart skipped a beat when Death still showed up, but was immediately relieved when she took note of its new position. It has now moved away, more in the past rather than the future. The scales of Justice were now even but it had oddly returned to its reversed state.

Chariot seemed to be almost beaming. She felt a sense of accomplishment coming from Priestess and Empress while the Emperor radiated firm, steeled determination. Lovers seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief and the Magician hummed lowly. Even the Hierophant was giving off a strange yet positive energy that she had not seen before.

“How did you…” Chihaya muttered.

_“Believe in me.”_

Chihaya stood up and closed up shop for the day, feeling overwhelmingly satisfied and content.

Akira had done it again. He had changed fate.

**~X~**

Chihaya was nervous. She was certain that Akira was still alive but the lingering doubt in her mind still made her think otherwise. But with nothing else to lose, she picked up her phone, opened the chat window and began to type.

**Chihaya: I’ve read your fortune**

**Chihaya: …**

**Chihaya: I see a lot has changed.**

**Chihaya: You’ve overcome a great plight.**

**Chihaya: You’re still here.**

**Chihaya: I hope I am correct.**

A few minutes passed until her phone went off again.

**Akira: You are.**

**Akira: I’m fine.**

**Chihaya: Oh thank goodness!**

**Chihaya: I knew it couldn’t be true. I believed as such.**

**Akira: Thank you for upholding our deal.**

**Chihaya: Of course. I believe in you now more than ever, Kurusu-kun. And I’m sure the divine power won’t ever let me forget to do so from now on.**

**Chihaya: Though I must say, it’s rare to see Death in the past instead of the future.**

**Chihaya: What did you do?**

**Akira: What needed to be done.**

**Akira: Speaking of, I need to stay low for a little while. I’ll come do another verification test soon.**

**Chihaya: There’s no need for that anymore, remember? But I would like to give you an in depth reading whenever possible.**

**Akira: Of course. We’ll be in touch?**

**Chihaya: Yes. Please continue to be careful.**

**Akira: I always am.**

Chihaya set her phone down and turned her attention back to the cards. They looked far more positive than they ever have.

“The Fool is once again surrounded by the Magician, Lovers, Chariot, Emperor, Empress and Priestess. Hermit presides over all of them as it did before! Death still lingers but has now switched positions. It has moved over, tentatively residing in the near future. Justice remains reversed but stays close to Death…”

Chihaya shook her head in amusement. “But at the center is fortune. Forever spinning and fate always changing.”

_Fate sure is certainly a tricky being. When time runs out, it's all that’s left, whether it be merciful or cruel. But to be easily overturned by just belief..._

Chihaya turned another card over and saw the debut of the World card. This card very rarely showed up in her readings. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t recall a time it ever did show up in a reading. Even its position was peculiar; it stood hand in hand, in firm conjunction with the Fool.

_Perhaps anything was possible._


	3. Councillor

**~I~**

_11/18/20xx_

“Oh Kurusu-kun.”

“Hm?”

“...No it’s nothing. Best of luck to the both of us.” Maruki’s smile seemed strained.

“Something on your mind, doc?” Akira pressed.

Maruki immediately frowned. “I should be asking you that." He paused and briefly looked down at the ground. "The Phantom Thieves are in trouble...aren’t they?”

Akira didn’t reply but his clenched fist told Maruki everything he needed to know.

“I know today is supposed to be the last day we see each other but it doesn’t mean it has to happen right at this moment. I can make time for an extra counseling session after school. Away from the school, if you prefer.”

Akira thought over his offer. If there was anyone he could talk to about this, it would be a counselor who happened to know about his phantom thievery.

“Yeah that sounds good. We can talk at Leblanc?”

“Perfect. I’ll come by there this evening.”

** ~I~ **

Later that evening, Maruki had walked into Leblanc. Sojiro had relinquished the store to Akira but doubted that any more customers would come in for the day so he told Akira he was free to close Leblanc early if he wanted.

Akira had served Maruki a plate of curry and a cup of coffee before turning to clean up. The two remained in silence, the soft noise from the television being the only thing that filled the air at the small cafe.

Maruki didn’t say a word in an attempt to initiate. He wouldn't push, he never did. He’d sit in silence well into the night if that’s what Akira needed. 

Though he probably should have brought snacks.

After Akira finished cleaning and straightening up and made sure the stove was off he went to the door, locked it and flipped the sign to ‘closed’.

Akira quietly took a seat next to Maruki at the counter. After taking a deep breath, he spoke. 

“Things have been accelerating the last couple of weeks, as you’ve probably heard. And now they’re coming to a head.”

Maruki put his cup down. “Oh?”

“We have one more job left. It’s likely to be my--our last one too. We have a chance to get ourselves out of the hole we’ve fallen into and we plan to take it.”

“How so?”

“It’s too risky to explain the logistics of it and I honestly may never be able to after the fact. It’s not that I don’t trust you...”

“Doctor-patient confidentiality is still on the table, you know.”

“It’s the rest of the world that I don’t trust.” 

Maruki understood. “It goes without saying that someone, even multiple someones have shaken your trust.”

“No. Just one.”

“Who then?”

Akira pursed his lips. “Let’s say it’s not a team mate.”

“Mmm. Okay.” Maruki lifted his cup up to take another sip.

_What on earth did that mean???_

“I just...hate that I’ve been beginning to regret my choices, regret everything that’s been done that led me here. That’s led _all of us_ here. To this crossroads in this game of life or death.”

Maruki set his empty cup on the counter and leaned back, looking up in thought.

“Akira...I may not know everything that’s going on but I’ve ascertained enough to know that your next, potentially last, job may be your most important one yet. Your most crucial. It required careful day by day and minute by minute planning. It won’t allow any room for error or unforeseen variables."

“That’s the thing. We still have _a lot_ of unforeseen variables that can’t be addressed now. A lot of things have to be done on the fly on the day of. Even the day after. Everything up to a certain point has been mapped out, battle tested to an extent, and solidified. But after that point it’s a void.”

Akira leaned forward, fully resting his arms on the counter. “The rest...the rest of it falls on me. And if I don’t succeed it means not only my downfall, but all of our downfalls. This is the biggest gamble I’ll face as a trickster.”

Maruki raised a curious brow at the term “trickster” but decided to let it go for the meantime. A story for another day.

Akira shook his head solemnly. “Was everything that happened really worth it? The hard work, the training? Were those really success stories or did we in reality actually change our cognitions to make it seem so?”

Maruki swallowed thickly. “You indeed have quite the burden on your shoulders with a lifetime and a half worth of issues. But I can definitely assure that cognitive dissonance is not one of them.”

Akira scoffed. “How are you so sure?”

“Look at the bigger picture. Your choices have changed lives. Saved lives even. On a smaller scale, you’ve given my life purpose. And I can tell you gave yourself that too.”

“We’ve been playing into the enemy’s hands for months, perhaps even further than that. What happened in my home town for all I know could have been part of this whole grand scheme. We lost sight of our goal, our justice and got caught up in our own vanity. Now we’re paying the price.”

Maruki tapped his chin with his finger. “It’s about time I’ve given you some proper therapy. We’re going to do a little exercise. Just a simple one.” Maruki reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook and a pencil. He flipped to a fresh page and at the top of the page, on opposite sides he wrote two words, pros and cons, and drew a line between them.

“I want you to write all the pros and cons you can think of when it comes to being a Phantom Thief.”

Akira shot him a look.

“Doctor-patient confidentiality. I’ll even burn the page on the stove there if you want me to.” 

"Could be used for curry." Akira grabbed the pencil and began to twirl it between his fingers. "So I can write anything?"

"Anything your heart desires."

“Can wearing a cool outfit be a pro?”

Maruki chuckled. “Yes, even that.”

As Akira filled out the page, Maruki continued to quietly observe him, even taking note of some of the things he had been writing down.

Pros:Formed valuable bonds with friends and confidants around the city.

Cons: Friends have been condemned to an uncertain fate due to my leadership and/or association.

_Jeez..._

Pros:Discovered a new side of myself

Cons:Discovered a new side of-

Before Maruki could catch the name Akira had scribbled it away.

All he was able to catch from it was "G".

Once Akira was done, he set his pencil down and began to read through the list. Maruki leaned in to read as well.

Akira crossed his arms. “So more pros than cons. Does that mean my actions thus far were just?”

“I don’t want you to think this as purely one side vs. the other. For this case in particular, that wouldn’t be the proper way to assess things. If you want to obtain your lost justice you need to see these two sides as equal, not separate.”

Akira made a face. “You’ve lost me.”

“Think of it like this. You were, at the very least, subconsciously aware of everything you’ve written here. The benefits of adopting this lifestyle as well as the risks. And around the time you all had to make the choice, the risks had definitely outweighed benefits by a staggering amount. You were no doubt apprehensive at first but when the stakes were raised further against you, it didn’t tip the scales in favor of risk. It tipped it in favor of benefit. You now had a means to deal with the situation at hand. It granted you a tool that no other man could have ever dreamed of. And you continued to do that with each mission that followed; Madarame, Kaneshiro, Medjed.”

Maruki could see clarity growing in Akira’s eyes.

“Okumura has been a grave misstep and has sent you all spiralling down, there is little room for argument there. But now, like you said, you’re at a crossroads, back in the middle between pro and con; benefit and risk. I believe you’re going to follow your path to the end, Akira and you’ll see the light. The-ahem- _trickster_ in you won’t settle for anything less.”

Close. _Too close_. “You sure you didn’t bug us?” Akira said with a slight smirk.

“Huh?? Akira, I possess nowhere near that much technical prowess. “ Maruki shook his head. “What I’m ultimately trying to say is these doubts and feelings of regrets you’re having are normal. You may be... _an all powerful trickster…”_

Akira snickered at Maruki’s added dramatic flair and in turn Maruki struggled to stifle his own laughter.

“But you’re still human in this reality. Don’t let these feelings overwhelm you and shake your confidence. Wield them and use them to bulk up your confidence, feed your strength and that of your team mates. You can’t go into this mission with doubt but you can never have too much determination.”

Akira whistled. “You weren’t kidding when you said proper therapy, sensei.” 

“I'd like to think there was a benefit to getting my Doctorate, you know.”

Akira laughed softly before falling silent, biting his lip. There were still traces of regret on his face. “You know, sometimes I just _wish-”_

Maruki immediately perked up. Whispers echoed in his head.

“No...it’s too late for wishing now. Now it’s time to act.” Akira stood up, with newfound resolve. “I’m going to follow the path I believe in, just like you will.”

“I believe in you Akira. No matter the distance between us, you’ll always have my support.”

Akira smiled. “And no matter what, our paths will cross again. I’ll make sure of it.” He extended a hand toward Maruki. He stood up and extended his hand, the pair sharing another handshake, much firmer than the one they had earlier.

“It’s a promise.”

Akira tightened his grip. “It’s a guarantee.”

**~** **I** **~**

Maruki had been riding a wave of patient restlessness. News of the leader of the phantom thieves being captured and then his suicide soon after, dominated the airwaves and was the talk of the city, the whole country even.

Ever since that night in Leblanc, Maruki was racking his mind trying to figure out what Akira and the Phantom Thieves had been planning. He immediately got the vibe that this suicide wasn't legitimate but he couldn't exactly place right.

Was this a part of of their plan? A fabrication of their leader’s death? Why exactly were they so silent about it? He had expected some form of retaliation, perhaps a hint of a pending countermeasure.

Maruki even tried to look on the famed Phan-Site for any clues but found nothing amongst the sea of hate.

There was a small part of him that wanted to doubt them. Did their plan actually fail? Was this the beginning of their downfall?

Maruki wished he had some way to contact one of them to get more insight. To ease his worries and gnawing anxiety.

But he quickly rationalized that would ultimately be selfish. Their silence was deliberate. They needed to act as regular high school students for the time being. Any action, even the most minor could completely scramble their plans.

_“This crossroads in this game of life or death.”_

Maruki grabbed his phone and opened up the chat window. Akira had been offline for nearly two days now. But despite that worry, he was going to believe. 

He began to type.

**Maruki: I hope your recovery is going well**

**Maruki: ?**

**Maruki: I’d like to pick your brain on a couple of things…**

**Maruki: Mainly how you did what you did.**

**Maruki: But you don’t have to dive into the details. I know you might not be able to anyway.**

**Maruki: I have enough imagination to paint a pretty enough picture haha.**

**Maruki: Um…**

**Maruki: Oh! I’ll have snacks waiting for you!**

Maruki set his phone down and shifted his focus to his book.

About an hour later, he heard his phone go off. Maruki was embarrassed to admit that he nearly fell trying to retrieve it from the coffee table.

Somehow.

**Akira: Sorry I was sleeping. Faking your death can take a lot out of you.**

Maruki let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He immediately felt lighter.

**Maruki: I can only imagine. But you’re okay?**

**Akira: Nothing that isn’t slowly healing.**

**…**

**Akira: So…**

**Maruki: So?**

**Akira: Well? Tell me more about these snacks.**

Maruki laughed and sent another message wishing him a speedy recovery and to get plenty of rest. Akira also explained that he needed to lay low for a bit so their talks and snacks would have to wait. Maruki sent back words of understanding and his best regards.

Feeling more at ease, Maruki marked his spot in the book, stood up from the couch and stretched, then walked over to the window of his apartment, taking in the sights of Tokyo.

“You’ve done your part Akira. Now it’s time that I do mine. Just a little bit more time and I’ll be ready. You’ve suffered enough, more than anyone ever should. But no more. Soon you won’t have to suffer any longer. No one will have to.”

_Believe in me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #GetAkiraKurusuSomeGoodTherapy2020


	4. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this wound up being longer than expected. Way more angsty too.

**~XIII~**

Akira was sitting in class, bored out of his mind as usual when he felt his phone go off. He looked forward and noticed that Ann hadn’t pulled out her phone so it likely wasn’t Phantom Thief related. Though it could be Futaba contacting him off the grid with an update.

When he was sure Ushimaru wasn’t looking in his general direction, he pulled out his phone.

**Takemi: Good afternoon my little guinea pig.**

**Takemi: Sorry old habits.**

**Takemi: I have someone here who’d like to see you today.**

**Akira: Who?**

**Takemi: Miwa-chan wants to meet the person who helped save her life.**

**Akira: Didn’t she already? I mean you’re right there.**

**Takemi: Stop that. The development of this medicine couldn’t have been completed without you.**

**Takemi: You played just as big a role in it as I did.**

**Akira: Thank goodness for being bland and generic, yeah?**

**Takemi: My little guinea pig is still as cheeky as ever.**

**Takemi: Anyway, I want you to come to my clinic after school. We’ll likely make an evening out of it so make sure you don’t have anything pressing to do.**

Akira mentally went through the list of things that needed to be taken care of. It also gave him the chance to look up from his phone in case Ushimaru was looking his way. While he savoured how borderline pissed Ushimaru would get when he continually dodged his chalk, it was getting old.

Their infiltration route of Sae’s palace was secure and the calling card wasn’t going to be sent until the 18th. They still had one or two lingering mementos missions but he was waiting on Mishima to follow up on a lead he was looking into, so that could wait a little while longer. Akira preferred them to do their missions in bulk rather than little by little. They all always came out stronger for it.

Iwai likely wouldn’t need him tonight either and he was still waiting on the right time to go into mementos with Futaba to take care of Sojiro’s predicament. Speaking of, unless there was a breakthrough, he likely would not hear of an concrete update from her today anyway, perhaps not for another day or two. Everyone else was on standby.

**Akira: I think my schedule’s clear. I’ll see you and Miwa-chan later then?**

**Takemi: Perfect!**

**Takemi: Though I must warn you, she has become quite the bundle of energy since beginning her recovery.**

**Takemi: My old bones can’t keep up but you should have no problem.**

**Takemi: Plus, your ”extracurricular activities” have been keeping you in good shape, no?**

**Akira: Your “old bones” would probably manage if they weren’t trying to balance on those heels.**

**Takemi: I’m thinking of developing a new medicine, would my cheeky little guinea pig like a preview of it?**

**Akira: Yes actually. I told you entrance exam prep has been tough, remember?**

**Takemi: What am I going to do with you?**

Akira smirked and tucked his phone away. He looked over at Morgana and saw him trying to stifle some snickers of his own, having read the entirety of their conversation. Though they would likely come out as broken up meows to anyone else. He playfully scratched under Morgana’s chin, causing him to surprisingly purr rather than swat Akira’s hands away. He was about to lean forward and turn his attention back to the window when-

“Hey! Are you listening?”

**~** **XIII** **~**

After an emotional, rambunctious, and overall entertaining evening, Takemi treated Akira to dinner at the diner in Shibuya. She wasn’t exaggerating; Miwa-chan was nothing short of a firecracker. Sweet girl, highly intelligent, but _damn_ if her energy levels weren’t cranked to one thousand at all times. If it weren’t for her parents, Akira likely still would have been running with her all over Inokashira Park and continue to do so into the dead of the night.

_It still beats frantically hightailing it when the Reaper decides to show up earlier than usual._

“Hard to believe a young girl like that was in hospice care not too long ago, huh? I wonder how she would react if she knew that she was running around with a member of the infamous phantom thieves.”

“She’d probably ask to join.” Akira stretched his arms and leaned back in his seat. “We’d probably consider it, we don’t have kids on our team after all.” 

“You’re all kids.” Takemi replied.

Akira rolled his eyes causing Takemi to laugh.

Once their food arrived, they immediately dug in, Akira almost swallowing his whole plate whole.

As tired as Akira was, he felt a little better than he has over the last couple of days. His mind felt a little clearer. Like the pressure on his chest eased up some. The storm in his mind had settled a little.

“Something on your mind?” Takemi asked.

“There’s always something on my mind.”

“I see that. But it’s more than usual.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I always worry about you.” Takemi's voice was full of concern. “Come on, you’ve always listened to my problems. Now it’s my turn to listen to yours.”

Akira scratched the back of his head. “It’s just...a lot”

“More than the usual teenage angst and hormonal issues?”

“More like societal problems.”

“Hm? What about them?”

“They suck.”

Takemi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, this is why I couldn’t get into therapy.”

“You’re a terrible therapist anyway. Didn’t even ask me how that made me feel.” 

“Sheesh. God help the person who has to counsel you.”

“He’s not that bad actually. He’s been a huge help in keeping my mind sharp. Don’t think he knows what he got himself into though.”

“That poor idiot. You should introduce me sometime.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Akira replied, taking a sip of water. “By the way, thanks for today. I guess I needed that more than I thought.”

“Of course. I keep in contact with you for more than just clinical trials, you know.”

“No not that. Just...”

“For what though then? Come on, spit it out.”

“For...reminding me of what exactly it is that I fight for.”

“You...forgot?” Takemi asked, confused.

“Sort of. We all did honestly.” Akira rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been tough lately and today was an unexpectedly good stress reliever.”

“I’m good for that I guess. Though it’s rare that I do that without prescribing medicine.”

Akira adjusted his glasses and made eye contact. “Dr. Takemi, can you promise me something?

“Hm?”

“Just...whatever happens next, don’t doubt me. Please know that there’s no way in hell I would let it all end like that.”

The way he said that statement was just...off. And Takemi couldn’t exactly place how or why. It simply felt off.

“What do you mean? What’s going to happen?”

“Do you still doubt me?”

“I mean after what you did for me with Oyamada I know you're more than just some high school kid. Beyond that...I don’t-?” Takemi shook her head. “Seriously, what’s really going on here? What are you going to do?”

Akira was about to speak again when he was cut off by his phone going off loudly, its shrill ringing disturbing the relaxing aura of the diner. He picked it up and looked at the screen to see who it was. Without answering it, he grabbed his jacket and bag and made his way out of the booth.

“I need to go. Thank you for dinner, Dr. Takemi.”

“Wait, where are you going? I still have questions.”

“I’ll explain later, maybe. Keep in touch.” After leaving some yen on the table, he rushed out of the diner.

Akira felt guilty leaving her in such a state of confusion and worry but urgent business had come up. They needed to do one more crucial test run before the big day. There were still a few loose ends to tie up and a recent discovery meant that their strategy needed some tweaking. As he went down into the subway, he tapped away at his phone and let the group know that he’d be at the courthouse shortly.

Back at the diner, Takemi just kept staring at the empty seat. “Damn it. Just what the hell are you planning? What aren’t you telling me? And what were you trying to-?”

This is why Takemi couldn’t get into psychology. The human mind was far too complex to even try to understand.

**~** **XIII** **~**

**Takemi: Miwa-chan wants to see you again before she goes back home.**

**Takemi: Are you available?**

Takemi felt foolish sending that last message. The status update in his profile had already answered her question for her.

**Akira: *Offline - 16 hours***

**Takemi: ...I'd like to see you too.**

_“...whatever happens next, don’t doubt me.”_

“You’re making that really hard, Akira...”

**~** **XIII** **~**

Takemi was never one to keep up with the news, but had no choice when she heard that the leader of the phantom thieves was in police custody. She was aware that the phantom thieves have been labelled criminals, even murderers and they were wanted at that. If Takemi was the wrong kind of person, she would have turned in information to have a shot at that thirty million yen.

But she wouldn’t betray her guinea pig like that. 

Regardless, she kept her hopes high. Finally grasping what he was talking about at the diner all those nights ago, she went about her day, flying on an air of optimism she hadn’t in quite some time.

But then the most recent news update had shaken her to her core and completely dissolved any kind of optimism she had.

“ _The leader of the phantom thieves has been found dead after an apparent suicide.”_

On wobbly legs Takemi stood up and walked out of her clinic. She desperately needed air.

_“God this is the worst time to be wearing heels.”_

Takemi walked aimlessly around Yongen-Jaya, her arms wrapped around herself. Eventually she found herself in front of Leblanc and considered going in just to see if it was a hoax. To see if he actually managed to escape police custody and was actually hiding out inside, biding time.

But she couldn’t find the strength to do so.

Eventually she found herself on the subway, taking the train to Shibuya. She didn’t know why, just...felt like it.

During her journey, her sorrow quickly turned to irritation as she overheard some of the things people were saying. It disgusted her to hear how a majority of people were reacting. Someone died while in police custody, this was negligence at its finest, and instead of being angry and asking why, people celebrated it and even expressed relief. 

Just what the hell was wrong with this world?

Eventually, Takemi got off the train and walked up the stairs to get to central street. She then opted to go to the diner, hoping a cup of tea would help relax her nerves. She took a seat at the booth and told the waitress her order. 

“What were you trying to tell me?” Takemi asked herself. “Why don’t you want me to doubt you?”

“You wouldn't let it end like this?”

Takemi sighed and rubbed at the sides of her temple.

_“Why don’t you tell me the truth about why you kept coming to me, hm?”_

_“I wanted to see you.”_

Her heart throbbed in her chest.

So much for that.

Takemi leaned back and sighed. The tea tasted good but did nothing to ease her nerves.

“There’s no way the leader of the phantom thieves committed suicide right?”

Takemi overheard a conversation from the booth behind her. She picked up her cup to take another sip and discreetly tried to eavesdrop.

“I dunno. Maybe they were overcome with grief about the murder of Okumura?”

Grief? That couldn’t be right. Akira may have been a stone wall when it came to emotion but some would leak out of that barrier from time to time. Not once did she ever feel grief coming from him.

If anything…

“Yeah something seems fishy about all this. How did he even get the gun in the first place?”

Gun?

Oh _absolutely_ not.

Takemi finished her cup and left the money on the table before leaving the diner.

“There’s no way, there’s no way you’d do something like that, kiddo.” She pulled out her phone and looked up the news. She read through an article that timelined everything from his capture on the 20th to his suicide just hours later; how he managed to wrangle a gun away from an officer who was on guard just before shooting himself in the head.

Everything about that was just absolutely wrong.

_“There’s no way in hell I would let it all end like that..”_

"Come on Akira, come back to me.”

**~** **XIII** **~**

His status finally changed to online but given what he’s likely gone through she was hesitant on contacting him. It was late into the night. He...probably needs rest. A lot of it.

So she decided that she would message him first thing the next morning. After answering some messages from Miwa-chan she opened up their chat window.

**Takemi: I hope my little guinea pig is still running around.**

Takemi walked into her clinic and debated whether or not she should actually open or take a “research day.” But she figured she could use the distraction, they were in the middle of flu season after all. She set her phone down at her desk and turned her attention to her computer, opting to answer some emails to pass the time between clients. A few hours passed until her phone buzzed again.

**Akira: Not running, can’t run. But I’m at least walking.**

**Takemi: That...doesn’t sound good.**

**Takemi: But at least I’m hearing from you again.**

**Akira: I’m okay.**

**Takemi: I need to see your face.**

**Akira: You may not like it.**

**Takemi: All the more reason for me to see it.**

**Akira: I can’t be seen.**

**Takemi: I’ll close the clinic if you don’t want anyone seeing you. Come by today.**

**Takemi: Please.**

A few minutes went by with no reply and Takemi was already preparing to go to Leblanc and drag him here herself.

**Akira: Okay. I’ll be there this afternoon.**

After treating two more clients, Takemi had closed up for the day, leaving a sign on the door saying so. 

Takemi didn’t know what she’d see so she gathered up any necessary medical supplies and prepped as much as she could. She even kept a suture and some anesthetics nearby if it was needed.

Around three in the afternoon, she heard a knock on the door. Shaking out the last of her nerves she went over to open it.

Takemi let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw Akira standing in front of her. But there was no time to revel in the feeling. She shooed him in, made sure no one was watching and closed the door, making sure to lock it again.

To say he looked worse for wear was an understatement. She saw the harsh bruises on his face and was certain there were more, harsher ones underneath his clothing. 

“Please head into the exam room.”

**~** **XIII~**

Other than a few cracked ribs, nothing was broken as far as Takemi could tell. But still, these bruises were the furthest thing from standard police procedure. With the right amount of pressure, Akira’s knee could have been broken instead of sprained. He’s lucky that there was no internal bleeding or a hint of a skull fracture. She saw some small puncture wounds on his neck as well.

“The bastards drugged you too? Just what the hell did they do to you over there?” 

Despite Akira not replying, the silence spoke volumes. It told Takemi everything she needed to know.

She sighed. “You don’t have to talk about it with me but you should still...talk to someone about this. I can see the physical effects but I’m worried about what’s going on in that noggin of yours. I care about you, you know?”

“This little piggy will be fine.” Akira replied with a smile.

Takemi giggled at the joke. “I want to doubt that but...I think you killed the last of my doubts. It was hard but, I wholeheartedly believe in you now.”

Akira nodded in appreciation.

After she finished dressing his wounds Takemi gave him some medication for the pain as well as a muscle relaxant should he have trouble sleeping at night. She also gave him extra gauze and some cleaning alcohol to make sure his wounds don’t get infected. 

“Try to take it easy for a few more days. There’s no permanent damage but there will be if you don’t heal properly. Get plenty of rest and get some good food in you. You’re a little malnourished. If you're not feeling right or you feel like something is wrong, don't hesitate to come see me.”

“Will do. Thanks, doc.”

“Anytime. Stay safe, kiddo.”

“I-”

“Don’t you dare say you always do. Those bruises and injuries won’t really help your case.”

Akira laughed. “Say hi to Miwa-chan for me?”

“You got it.”

Takemi turned and leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply. “This is probably out of line for me to say considering what you’ve gone through but I gotta tell you; this is the MOST exhausted I’ve ever been and it’s all your fault. What am I going to do with you my cheeky little guinea pig?

“I’ll make it up to you, soon.” Akira winked. 

Takemi fought back a blush. “I’ll be waiting. But I also worry, keep in touch?”

“Sure thing. I’ll see you around.” Akira put his hood back on and left the clinic.

Takemi shook her head and couldn’t help but laugh at the situation she was in. God when had she fallen this far deep? 

“Don’t let me down, Akira, I believe in you.”


	5. Hanged Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Rating updated from G to T because I forgot Iwai is the type of person who swears a lot*
> 
> This chapter quite literally ran away from me. None of this was intentional. It likely doesn't make sense and probably doesn't fit anywhere in the grand scheme of things. But like, hear me out for minute-

~ **XII** ~

Akira was at Untouchable, doing some last minute maintenance for his teammates' guns. Ryuji had mentioned his shotgun had been acting up lately making it harder to shoot and Haru inquired if it was possible to expand her clip size so she could fire off more rounds at the tougher shadows they’d occasionally encounter.

It was a slightly terrifying prospect seeing as her gun of choice was a _grenade launcher._ But hey, better the shadows than him. 

As long as she doesn't get brainwashed.

Iwai sat nearby, magazine in hand, occasionally offering tips and pointers to Akira as he worked. It was well past closing time but Iwai didn’t mind it, he owed Akira one anyway. He had texted Kaoru that he’d be late coming home tonight but to not worry.

Things regarding the Yakuza have cooled down considerably so Kaoru didn’t. Much.

“Alright,” Iwai spoke up, ”I’m gonna take a shot here at full risk of you making me feel like a complete dumbass.”

“What’s up?”

“You wanna explain to me what exactly it is you do with these guns? I mean you’d probably be better off using BB guns for...whatever it is you kids do.”

“For what we do, they’re more than enough.”

“Humor me here, kid.”

“Hmm.” Akira reached into his bag to pull out Makoto’s gun, tucking Ryuji’s away. She didn’t mention it herself but Akira had been noticing her aim has been shaky lately and it wasn’t due to nerves. Well, not completely anyway. 

“I guess the easiest way to explain it is that we fake our enemies out? If we make them think it’s a real gun, then they believe it’s a real gun. So when we fire at them, they actually feel pain, especially if they can’t handle it. That make enough sense?”

Iwai shrugged and shook his head. “Hell of a tactic. Still goes over my head, though.”

Akira laughed. Once he fixed the gear issue in Makoto’s gun, he put it aside. His gun was the only one he had left to do. He didn’t feel any issues as of late but a little extra maintenance wouldn’t hurt. Once he was done, he spun it around in his hand to get a feel for it.

Good to go.

“You look like a man on a mission.” Iwai quipped.

“Yep, got an important job coming up.” 

“Oh? Planning on robbing an expensive place?”

“Yeah actually; a casino.”

“Well god damn. Bring me back something nice, would ya?”

“Don’t I always?”

“For free,” Iwai emphasized. “Something I don’t gotta buy from you.”

Akira tsked. “You should be grateful.”

“Ha!”

Akira put everything into his bag and asked Iwai if he could look at the new protectors that had just come in.

“By the way, how’s Kaoru?”

“He’s good. Wondering when he’ll be able to hang out with his favorite person again.”

Akira smiled briefly before it dropped. “Maybe after we do this job. Don’t know if much free time will open up, though.”

Iwai raised an eyebrow. “Maybe? What, you’re not coming back from this job?”

“Something like that, dunno yet.” 

Iwai stood up. “Hold on, are you turning yourself in?”

Akira leaned forward, resting his arms on the counter. “In a manner of speaking.”

“Seriously? Or are you yanking my chain right now?”

“Serious as a heart attack.” Akira picked out a new protector for Morgana and placed the amount of yen needed on the counter.

Iwai exhaled and rubbed his head. “Look I know that thing with that Okumura was a tough deal but I know it ain’t in you guys to go and off a guy. Even if I asked ya to ice Tsuda for me you guys would have turned me down before I could finish talking.”

_“It was in one of us.”_

“You can’t let guilt drive you far enough to make a mistake. And this is a big one.”

“We have to do this, Iwai. _I_ have to do this. Our backs are against the wall here.”

Iwai’s eyes widened. “Do you know what they’ll do to you if you turn yourself in? They want your head on a damn platter and you’re just gonna offer yourself up?”

“We don’t have a choice. It’s the cards we’ve been dealt now we gotta play them.”

“This isn’t a game, damn it! They’re doing anything to catch you guys and they’ll do anything to squash you too.”

“It _is_ a game, Iwai. I said our backs are against the wall, not that it's game over.”

“Kid, don’t be stupid. You’re really gonna throw your life away because some hotshot bastards didn’t appreciate your methods of justice? This phantom thief stuff may be lost on me but I wasn’t born yesterday. I know you guys aren't capable of the stuff they're claiming. This is a screwjob.”

“It is a screwjob. But now we’re gonna turn the tables.”

Iwai crossed his arms. “How?”

Akira looked up at him. “We’re gonna fake them out.”

“...That doesn’t answer my question.”

Akira shrugged, standing back up and placing his hands in his pockets. “Not now anyway.”

Iwai exhaled out a laugh. “Fine, I’ll play along. I’ll be watching ya, kid.”

Akira turned to grab his bag and then made his way out of the store. “Just don’t blink.”

The door closed softly behind him.

Iwai shook his head as he began to lock down the store for the night. It was approaching 1am, Kaoru had to be asleep by now.

"Be smart about this damn it..."

 **~** **XII** **~**

Iwai was at home having dinner with Kaoru with the news playing softly in the background.

_“Reports have confirmed that the leader of the phantom thieves has been apprehended and is in police custody, awaiting processing.”_

“What the hell, kid? I thought you said you were gonna fake them out?” Iwai muttered.

“What’d you say, dad?” Kaoru asked, shaking Iwai out of his thoughts.

“Oh, nothing Kaoru.”

Kaoru turned his attention to the television. “So they really got Kurusu-kun?”

Iwai stopped mid-drink. “You knew?”

“That day we were all at Untouchable, I came back to the store to ask something and...overheard the conversation you were having with him. Kurusu-kun is not only a member of the phantom thieves but he's their leader.” 

Kaoru was much sharper than Iwai gave him credit for. “You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“N-no! Of course not! That would get you in trouble, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah it would. It’d get you in trouble too so make sure that stays between us.”

“Yeah definitely.” Kaoru’s voice trailed off. “He’s going to be okay, right?”

Iwai sighed. “I don’t-”

_“Breaking news! Reports have come in that the leader of the phantom thieves has been found dead due to an apparent suicide!”_

**~XII~**

Kaoru had been nearly inconsolable. It pained Iwai to hear those muffled sobs coming from his room, to see the tears that streaked his pillow. After somehow managing to get him to fall asleep around 3am, Iwai went to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and went over to the living room to take a seat on the couch.

He had left the television on, volume low. Any channel he went to just kept talking about it, giving their inputs and opinions.

_Fuck them all._

Against better judgement he turned the volume up, but not too loud that it’d potentially disturb Kaoru.

_“...new details have emerged indicating that he had attacked an officer who was on guard and wrestled his gun away from him. The suspect then proceeded to shoot himself point blank in the head.”_

Iwai paused. “What the-?”

He continued to watch the broadcast, growing more and more confused with each word that was spoken.

“He didn’t really do that. He wouldn’t. It wasn’t part of their plan.”

The voice startled Iwai, nearly causing him to spill his beer. He turned to find Kaoru, wide awake, standing behind him.

Damn, he forgot Kaoru was an extremely light sleeper.

“How would you know? And what plan?”

Kaoru sighed deeply and rubbed his arm. “I spotted Kurusu-kun a few days ago in Shibuya, just off central street. I wanted to approach him and talk to him but he was walking like he was in a hurry. So...I followed him.”

Iwai’s eyes nearly flew out of his head. “Kaoru!”

“I know, I know! I’m sorry, I just...wanted to see.”

Iwai sighed and patted the seat next to him. “I’m not angry at ya. Come on, I’m sure you have more to tell me.”

Kaoru nodded and bowed slightly, sending off another, more silent apology. He then sat down next to Iwai. “I followed him to the courthouse where he met up with his friends, the rest of phantom thieves. I saw them all pull out their phones and they began to disappear.”

“They disappeared?” 

Kaoru swallowed harshly, clasping his hands together in his lap. “All of a sudden my head really hurt and I started to feel uneasy, like everything around me was shifting. When I opened my eyes, everything looked the same, except..."

“Except?” Iwai pressed on, his heart practically in his mouth.

“Instead of seeing the courthouse...I saw a...casino.”

“A casino?”

_That’s what he was robbing?_

“But they didn’t head to the casino. Instead they went to another building nearby. I think it was the police station.”

“Kaoru...did you follow them?”

He winced. “I’m really sorry, dad.”

Oddly enough, Iwai couldn’t help but feel prideful. At least the gutsiness of the Iwai family was getting passed on somehow. He smiled in spite of himself, confusing Kaoru. “Keep going, son.”

“They went into the police station and went down some stairs, to the basement I think?”

"The interrogation rooms." Iwai knew them well.

“The world kept shifting around, back and forth and it really made my head hurt. This voice started talking to me and I guess that’s when they spotted me. At first, they thought I was an enemy that they call “shadows”. But Akira recognized me, escorted me out of the police station and brought me back to reality.”

_Back to reality..._

“Akira and I walked back home and we got to talking. We reached a mutual understanding and I swore to him that I wouldn’t tell anyone what I saw.”

Iwai chuckled. “Until now.”

Kaoru shrugged. “I didn’t really get the gist of what they were doing but I could tell they were up to something big. Something no one would see coming.”

Iwai exhaled slowly. “Well whatever plan they had, it failed.”

Kaoru leaned back. “Maybe...but I want to hold out hope that it didn't. Because I saw something else too, just before he brought me back.”

“What’s that?”

“I didn’t really think much of it until now, but I might have an idea of how he may have done it.”

“Oh? What did you see?” 

“Right before we left the basement, I saw...double.”

“Double?”

“Akira was there...twice. The real one was next to me, that’s for sure, but there was another one, standing by his friends.”

_“We’re gonna fake them out.”_

A lightbulb instantly went off in Iwai’s head and everything started to make sense. The exact method of it he would never fully grasp but the idea was cunning and the execution, if successful, would be flawless. It was almost diabolical.

This kid would have been a nightmare in the Yakuza business. A true shame.

Iwai whistled lowly. “Ohhh, so that’s what you meant. Nicely done, kid.”

Karou shot him a confused look. “What who meant?”

Iwai laughed and scratched Kaoru’s hair playfully. “Don’t worry about it. But you know what? Yeah, I’m gonna hold out hope too, Kaoru. I’m sure he’s just fine.”

Kaoru crossed his arms. “How do you know?”

“Call it the Iwai family hunch.”

Early the next morning, after opening up Untouchable and taking his seat on the chair, he pulled out his phone and opened their chat window.

**Iwai: Yo, gun enthusiast.**

**Iwai: There’s still lots to do at the shop.**

**Iwai: I could use a hand.**

**Iwai: …**

**Iwai: But no rush.**

**Iwai: Take as much time as you need, kid. I ain’t going anywhere and neither are the guns.**

**Iwai: I’ll see you later.**

**~ XII~**

It was a slow day at Untouchable and Iwai honestly didn't mind it. He wasn’t in the mood to entertain enthusiasts or educate newcomers. While he was still holding out hope, doubt still managed to wiggle into his mind. What if they were wrong? What if Akira was indeed dead? Were the rest of the phantom thieves dead too or about to be?

Would he be expecting the police to burst into his doors any day now? That wasn’t something unfamiliar to him, but Iwai was sure the consequences of aiding a phantom thief outshined anything he’s done as a member of the Yakuza clan. Then there was Kaoru...

And whoever the Phantom Thieves managed to piss off wouldn’t hesitate to kill him off the same way they did the others if they knew he was an ally. No loose ends means no loose ends, after all.

Iwai was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of jingling by the door, signifying that someone had walked in. It was close to closing time, he supposed he could play along to pass more time.

“Welco-” When he looked up to greet the customer, the sight he saw instead nearly made him tumble out of his chair.

_Akira._

Iwai immediately stood up, the chair cluttering behind him from the sudden force. He braced himself on the counter both to wait for his legs to catch up with the rest of his body and to lean forward to get a closer look.

Akira removed his hood and rasped out a “Hey."

It wasn’t an illusion. It was real.

There was a beat of silence before Iwai leaped over the counter. “Jesus fucking christ, kid.”

Before Akira could say another word, Iwai had grabbed and pulled him in for a tight hug. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, feeling his stress, anxiety, and the last of his doubts melt away. He nudged Akira closer into his chest.

Akira...definitely wasn’t expecting that. But nonetheless, he managed to wiggle his arms free to return the gesture.

“I only came because I saw your messages, you know.”

Iwai could practically hear the smirk in his voice. He had forgotten that he sent those messages yesterday morning. “Yeah, well it took you long enough.”

“I was dead.”

Iwai chuckled and patted his head. “You sure were.” He eventually released the hold and stepped back to get a better look at Akira.

_Faded bruises..._

“How’re you feeling?”

“Like I was dead.”

“Kid…”

“I’m fine. Or I will be.”

Iwai didn’t miss the way Akira briefly stiffened up when he grabbed him or the slightly pained breath Akira let out when he hugged him.

Iwai gestured at his head. “And your bullet wound?”

“Please, I was never even shot.”

 _You mad fucking bastard._ “I ain’t gonna try to understand what you did but I’m just glad it worked.”

“You and me both. How’s Kaoru?”

“He’s fine. But man I really oughta strangle ya for the pain you caused him. He was all torn up over his favorite person in the world being dead.”

“You’re exaggerating the part about me being his favorite, pretty sure that title belongs to you. But I really am sorry about doing that. I’ll make it up to him.”

Iwai shrugged, already making a move to grab his keys. “We can go do that right now.”

“What about the store?”

Iwai waved him off. “It’s about time to close anyway. Not like it was a particularly busy day today to begin with.”

Iwai went around the store and made sure everything was locked down. Once he was done, they exited the store and Iwai locked the door, pulling down the gates before locking them as well.

“Let’s go, and remember to keep your head low.”

Akira chuckled, placing the hood back on his head. “You sure catch on quick.”

“I know when someone needs to keep a low profile. And with how heated everyone is about all this, you suddenly popping up alive wouldn’t bode well for anyone, yeah?”

“You’re smarter than you look sometimes.”

“I try. By the way...Kaoru told me about the encounter at the courthouse.” Iwai paused, swallowing down the emotions that threatened to bubble up. “Thanks for watching out for him.”

“Of course.”

**~XII~**

After picking up Kaoru from Iwai’s house the trio headed to the diner in Shibuya. There was an aura of celebration that surrounded this dinner. The food was good, the three of them were all in good spirits and the banter was jovial and playful.

“Hey Kaoru? Can I see your phone?” Akira asked.

Kaoru reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He unlocked it before handing it to Akira. He appeared to tap at the screen a few times before shooting a pointed glare at Kaoru, as if he was trying to ask him something without actually saying anything. While Kaoru was practically pulsating with nervousness, he still maintained his composure.

After a few more moments, Akira nodded his head in approval then handed Kaoru’s phone back to him. Kaoru immediately locked it and put it back in his pocket.

Iwai had observed the exchange quietly, confused as ever. “What’s that about?” 

“Just...giving him my number. In case he needs to talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“That’s top secret.” They said simultaneously.

Iwai instantly heard alarms going off in his head but decided not to pursue it. He’ll leave it be for now. Whatever it was, it’d come to light sooner or later. But hopefully never. He’s had enough excitement for one lifetime.

Instead, he raised both his hands in surrender. “Hey as long as it's not trouble, you crazy kids can do whatever the hell you want.”

“No trouble here, scout’s honor.” Akira said.

“Not sure how much value that has coming from a thief.”

Akira playfully pouted. “Aw, and here I thought you believed in me.”

Iwai couldn’t help the laugh that erupted out of him. “In ways you may never know, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soft for Soft!Iwai don't @ me.


	6. Aeon

** ~XX~ **

“Welcome back, honey!"

“Good evening, Ms. Lala-chan.” Akira winked, taking a seat at the counter.

Lala playfully swooned. “As charming as ever, be careful I might just try to eat you up.” She giggled. “What brings you here tonight?”

Akira looked around Crossroads. “Is Ohya here?”

“She told me that she got caught up with work but she might stop by a little later. No guarantee though.” Lala soaked her worn down cigarette underneath the sink faucet before throwing it in the garbage. “She’s actually been coming here less and less these days.”

Akira hummed. “Work must be busy.”

“Her work is always busy, she just finally found something to really hone her focus on.” Lala turned to light another cigarette. “Though I’ve noticed the days she does come in, she doesn’t drink as much as she used to.”

“That right?”

“Mmhmm. Did you have anything to do with that? Change her heart or something?”

Akira laughed. “Nah, nothing like that.”

“In any case, did you want to sit here and wait for her? Drinks are on me, the nonalcoholic ones, of course.”

“Well it would help with the taste.”

Lala laughed heartily. “Now who taught you about a naughty thing like that? What am I going to do with you, silly boy?”

“Nothing drastic, promise. But I think I’ll actually work tonight. I need a distraction.”

“It’s been quiet, but I’ll gladly welcome the extra company. Plus, you’ve come all this way so you may as well."

“Thanks, Lala-chan.”

“Of course. And if you’re a good boy, I may even show you the basics of mixing drinks.”

**~XX~**

Akira needed the distraction but was thankful that Crossroads wasn’t its bustling self tonight. The relaxing aura of the bar helped put his mind at ease and he felt some of his stress and worries fade away a little. For now, he could forget about what’s going on in the world for a bit.

Despite the massage from Kawakami, exhaustion from today’s excursion through Sae’s palace still seeped through. Figuring out the House of Darkness maze took a lot more out of him than he realized.

Akira’s change in energy didn’t go unmissed by Lala either. He may have still been his witty playful self when he walked in but Lala could tell it was a little bit forced. “You seem stressed, honey. Everything okay? Getting enough sleep?”

Now that she mentioned it, Akira noticed that sleep had been particularly harder to obtain lately. The anxiety of what was to come would often keep him up until the wee hours of the night, much to Morgana’s annoyance and worry.

Other times, he would be coming home from their off the grid, late-night phantom thief meetings. It wasn’t ideal, but they weren’t going to have enough time or wiggle room during the day, and the chances of being “caught” was lower at night. Since they were also still progressing through Sae’s palace there was an occasion or two they had to go into the metaverse twice in one day which had been especially draining.

Because of that, Akira found himself sleeping more during his commute or during class, especially when Kawakami would slip him some extra free time.

“I’m okay, just been having some..troubles lately.”

“You poor dear, and here I am being a terrible boss and making you work. Go on and take a seat for the rest of your shift, it’s all right.”

“I asked to work, but thank you.” Akira walked around the counter and as he was sitting down, Lala had placed a glass of water with a lemon slice in front of him.

“Talk to me, baby boy. What’s going on?”

“School, life, society.”

“Ah, the pillars of teenage life,” Lala lamented. “What about them?”

Akira shrugged sadly and leaned forward to rest his arms on the counter. “Just wish things were better.”

“I thought the Phantom Thieves were making all that better?”

Akira picked up the glass of water and took a sip. “Me too.”

“Hm? Having some self-doubt?”

Akira raised a curious brow. “ _Self-_ doubt?” Then it clicked. “You know, too. Did Ohya tell you?”

“Gimme some credit here, honey. Lala-chan may be old, but she’s still young at heart. I’ve still got my wits about me.”

Akira shook his head in amusement. “When did you figure it out?”

“Definitely much sooner than Ohya did. It was the time when that overworked man came in to complain about that awful Shinsuke fellow. A few nights later, he came back and told me that his boss had done a complete 180 and started treating everyone with respect and kindness. Even gave everyone two weeks off, paid. With how horrible that man was, that sudden change of behavior could only have been the work of the Phantom Thieves, no? And you were there to hear about it.” 

“It was packed that night. Anyone could have been listening in.”

“True, but you seemed particularly attentive to our conversation my curious little bunny.”

Akira winced. He needed to work on that before that got him in trouble. Well, _deeper_ trouble. “Yeah...I suppose you’re right.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn't dream of turning my honey boy in to the police. I would never see you again and that breaks my heart.” Lala pouts, making Akira laugh harder.

“It would break mine too. Thanks Lala-chan.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.” Lala placed a hand on her cheek and waved her other one around in the air. “Oh, I bet you look absolutely scrumptious as a phantom thief!”

Akira smirks. “I suppose that’s one of the perks.”

“Are you guys really fighting or is it just you just charming all of your enemies into submission?”

“Honestly? A little bit of both. Depends on the encounter.”

“Oh what a life to live,” Lala remarked. “But to think, the ones who were really beginning to make a positive change for this country are just a bunch of high schoolers.”

“Yeah and we pissed off a lot of important people because of it.”

Lala scoffed and waved his statement off. “Oh let them be mad. It’s about time they got a good kick in the ass for the lackluster job they’ve been doing.”

“Can I tell them you said that? Might take the heat off us a little,” Akira jokes. “Kidding of course. I don’t want to pull any more people into this than necessary. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been surveilling us somehow and I’ve been coming in and out of here a lot. Stay safe, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt on my account.”

“You don’t need to worry about little ol’ me, but I understand. You too, okay?"

“I’ll try."

“No, no _trying._ If I find out you died, I’ll stomp into heaven and drag my angel back to life myself.”

Akira’s met many great people in the last seven months, but he doubted that he’d ever find anyone as wonderfully tenacious as Lala Escargot.

“I know you’ll find a way out of this, Akira.”

“Thanks, Lala-chan. Is it okay if I punch out a little early tonight? I’m kinda beat.”

“Not a problem at all. I’ll pay you the usual.” Lala turned to walk to the back room where she kept the safe containing the money.

While she was gone, Akira removed his apron and took the time to answer some messages on his phone since he heard it going off a little earlier. Thankfully there wasn’t nothing pressing; a follow up message from Maruki, some leads from Mishima and an invitation to hang out from-

Akira disregarded the message.

Lala eventually returned and handed Akira his pay for the night. “Here you go, there's a little something extra for being so cute.”

Akira nodded his thanks and put the money in his bag. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Lala stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Before you go, a word?

“What is it?”

Lala turned him around so he could face her. She removed Akira’s glasses and placed them on top of his head before gently gripping his shoulders, looking directly into his now unobscured eyes. “If you are to do something for me, it’s this.” She paused, and squeezed his shoulders before continuing. “Remember who you are. You are Akira Kurusu; leader of the righteous Phantom Thieves and the true patron of justice. You have helped people, saved lives, and threw a lifesaver to a country that was otherwise drowning. And above all, you’ve given all of us courage and most of all, hope. Now here’s me giving you some back; you will overcome this and come out stronger for it. I believe in you, honey-pie, okay?” She lifted a hand to cup his cheek, her thumb caressing it softly.

Akira smiled fondly. “I hear you.”

“Repeat it.”

“I will overcome this and come out stronger for it.”

Lala leans forward and pecks him softly on the cheek. “It’s a promise.”

Akira couldn’t help the embarrassed blush that creeped onto his face.

“Now I don’t normally ask for gifts but I’m expecting plenty the next time I see you.”

Akira chuckled, reached up and placed his glasses back on his face. “Oh yeah? And what does Ms. Lala-chan desire from me?”

“A radiant, intoxifying smile and an equally intoxifying story of success. That’s the closest and only thing to alcohol that you’ll be able to serve in this bar. And I can’t wait to drink it all up.”

“I think I can manage that.”

“You better. Because Lala Escargot always gets what she wants.” She winked and purred playfully. Lala then lovingly scratches Akira’s hair and sees him off, ordering him to get home safely and not to talk to any “weirdos” on the way home.

As she was preparing to close Crossroads for the night, Lala noticed that Akira had left his journal behind the counter. She noticed he was writing in it after he had finished cleaning some cups. It was against better judgement but she supposed a little “investigative journalism” wouldn’t hurt. 

Ohya could chew her out later.

She grabbed it and flipped the pages to his most recent entry.

_I battled with him yesterday. I won too easily and it bothers me. He wanted me to fight with lethal intent but he wasn’t fighting with the same sentiment. I've seen him in action and what he dealt to me was barely a fraction of what he does to shadows. He was holding back._

_What bothers me more is that he could have chosen to kill me right then--no--he could have assassinated me. I was alone with him. He could have done what he needed to do now instead of waiting. No one would have been to find me, gone forever in the void of Mementos._

_But instead he’s choosing to wait._

_Waiting for the day where everyone’s going to be watching._

_We’re running out of time. I’m exhausted. We're all exhausted. But we need to keep pushing. We need to make sure we cover as many bases as we can. We’re going to finish this the way WE want to, not the way they do._

_They’ll rue the day they tried to underestimate us._

“Just who are you tangled up with, Akira, and why do they want you dead in such a dramatic fashion?” Lala shook her head as she closed the jounal and tucked it away into her bag. She made a mental note to contact Ohya later to see if she could pass it on to him. She did mention that she wanted to talk with Akira but he’d been hard to get a hold of the last couple of days.

“Determination looks good on you, honey. Make sure you keep it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be the "Devil" chapter and it was going to be like one half Lala and...3/4 Ohya but stuff happened and Lala's part just developed a mind of its own. Adding in Ohya's part would have made it excessive since I'm aiming to limit these to one confidant per chapter. So instead, some love from Lala-chan <3
> 
> [Lala Escargot should have been a confidant, send tweet-]
> 
> I chose the Aeon arcana for her because it, for the most part, represents identity and finding your place in the world which I felt could fit Lala fairly well. If you have other ideas as to what other arcana she'd fall under, feel free to mention it. I'm curious =)


	7. Devil

** ~XV~ **

Akira blinked rapidly as he returned to reality. He had made a quick pit stop to the Velvet Room to reclaim a persona he had left in lockdown and took advantage of the alarm he had Chihaya trigger a little earlier. Once he felt like his mind was fully back in his body, the first sound he picked up on was a voice calling his name. He turned around just in time for Ohya to run smack into him.

“Akira-kun! There you are!”

While it was far less potent compared to when he first met her, Akira still picked up on the strong scent of alcohol that seemed to ooze through her pores. 

She was drunk.

“How are you, Ohya-san?”

“Great! Especially since I’m seeing you! Now what did I need to see you for exactly...oh yeah! Lala-chan said you left this at Crossroads last night.” She reached into her bag and pulled out his journal. Akira breathed out an audible sigh of relief. He had been praying to any god that was listening that he’d find that thing again. He didn't want it to end up in the wrong hands.

“Ah-ah, before I give this to you, you gotta do something for me. Lala-chan said you had the scoop of the century and I wanna hear about it. Gimme the juicy details and I’ll give this back. Deal?”

Okay. Either Lala-chan was bluffing (unlikely) or Ohya had been hitting the drinks harder than she has in a while seeing as she _already_ handed Akira his journal back and he had just placed it in his bag.

But for some reason that was beyond him, Akira decided to humor her.

“Scoop of the century, huh?”

“Uh-huuuh. Oh I think I had too much to drink tonight, whoopsie!” Ohya tried to walk forward but instead tripped (?) on her own feet. Akira quickly put his arms out to catch her and she fell smack into his chest.

That...sentence didn’t sound as drunk as it should have. And that fall seemed a little TOO deliberate.

“Lala-chan told me about your situation about possibly being followed and I'm afraid you might have been right. That guy over there? Wearing a black suit and sunglasses? He's been keeping a very close eye on you for a while now."

Akira froze, his heart flying into his throat. He had been having a rather confidential phone call with Futaba just after speaking with Chihaya. Not to mention he was just blankly standing there in the middle of the street while he was in the Velvet Room. Akira was sure he would be written off as another random drunkard in the streets of Shinjuku.

Apparently not. 

“From what I gather, he didn’t hear anything about your phone call but he moved a little closer to you while you were spaced out. So for now, you should be okay.”

That’s one heart attack dodged. 

“Remember what we did with my Chief when you pretended to be my boyfriend? You’re gonna have to revive that act and revive it _now,_ no time to think.”

Akira didn't need to hear any more. “Oh honey, you’ve confused me as one of your informants again. You’ve definitely had too much to drink. Let’s go somewhere to get some air and sober you up, huh?”

“Ohhhh, okayyyy. Can we go to Seaside Park?? I really liked it there the last time we went.” Ohya leaned into his ear. “You’re fucking smooth as hell, kid. You like this with everyone?”

“Only the ones who want to kill me. Here, lean on my shoulder.”

Ohya complied and wrapped an arm around his neck and he wrapped a tentative arm around her waist for extra support.

“How are you doing this by the way?” Akira inquired, as they made their way to the subway.

“Pshh. When you drink as much as I do, you learn how to do this shit on the fly.”

Akira didn't even want to know.

Just as they were about to make it down into the subway, they were unfortunately stopped by a police officer who was patrolling nearby.

“Everything okay over here?

“Yup, my girlfriend just had too much to drink and I just wanted to take her somewhere to get some fresh air.”

The police officer raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. “Girlfriend, huh? You look a little young for her.”

“I’m in college.”

“Oh yeah? Which one are you attending?”

“Honeyyy, I wanna go to Seaside!!” Ohya whined loudly, even stomping her feet for added effect.

Akira wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or downright terrified. “I _really_ gotta go,” he insisted.

The police officer laughed and sent him a sympathetic smile. “I get it, my wife can be the same way when she’s had a few too many. Sorry for holding you up, you two have a good night.” And with that the police officer walked away.

Akira felt like he could collapse from relief. But he regained his composure and the pair walked down the stairs to get underground. Once they were sure no one important was watching, they relinquished the hold they had on each other.

“Have you considered going into acting, kid? You’ve got a knack for it. The looks for it too.”

Akira rolled his neck. “It’s an idea. Anyway, thanks for the help back there.”

Ohya smiled. “Sure thing! I had to protect my number one informant after all! Speaking of, what I said up there wasn’t a complete bluff.”

“Oh?”

“Lala-chan said you had the scoop of the century about the _phantom thieves._ And the fact that you’re being followed just confirms it. I gotta hear about it now!”

Akira double checked his surroundings, before leaning in to whisper, “I think the fact I’m being followed now means I can’t really talk at the moment. Even if I just play it off as being an informant.”

“We’ll just keep up appearances. We can still go to Seaside Park to talk and we could easily switch into boyfriend/girlfriend mode if we need to. And it's dim enough where we’d notice if someone was trying to get close to eavesdrop. I doubt whoever’s tailing you is thorough enough to have every single inch of Tokyo bugged just so they could have a better shot at keeping tabs on you guys.”

Akira crossed her arms and stared at her blankly. _If only you knew who we were dealing with._ "I would give them a little more credit than that. It’s likely a whole group doing this at this point, not just one person.”

“Still.” Ohya groaned at his hesitation. “Oh come on! It could give you guys some good publicity. Maybe even distract the right people, get some heat off you?”

“Not sure it would do any good in this moment of time. We’re kind of at rock bottom.”

“Anyone will like an outrageous scoop if it’s good enough! Come on, what do you say? I'll even give it the good old Ohya special!”

Akira figured she had a point. If her articles could distract palace rulers, it could probably distract society as a whole, maybe even the right select few. Even if it's only temporary. 

“Fine, I suppose some good can be gleaned out of it.”

"Mmhm! I’ll make sure of it.”

**~XV~**

The pair thankfully arrived at Seaside Park without further incident. They took a little stroll around the park, arms linked (just to be safe) and chatted idly, with Akira feeding her little bits of info about phantom thieves affairs. It also was a discreet way for them to check to see if Akira was still being followed. Once they were certain it was clear they settled on a bench near the bridge.

“Still, I gotta say, that was a pretty good act, despite you not even being that drunk. You even had me going for a little while.”

“I tend to limit myself to a nice buzz now these days so I can focus better on work. I was just coming out of Crossroads I spotted you. And when I saw that guy was watching you, I knew I had to crank it up to twenty to get you outta that. There's no telling what would have happened if he kept following you."

Akira exhaled out a laugh. “Thanks again for that. So, what did you want to hear about?”

“Anything and everything you can! I know there’s a lot I can go on but I’d love for you to give me some kind of starting point for a story.”

Akira placed his index finger on his chin in thought. “How about...a story on the Phantom Thieves comeback?”

“Can’t go wrong with a comeback story! So I’m just gonna ask you questions and you answer me the best you can. Sound good?”

“Hit me with your best shot.”

Ohya pulled out her notepad and flipped over to a fresh page. “Right now, it appears that the Phantom Thieves are the prime suspects behind the various mental and psychotic breakdowns that had been happening around the city. Can you provide some insight?"

“First off, the mental and psychotic breakdowns happened long before the Phantom Thieves even banded together. It's simply nonsensical that the blame has been shifted to us."

"Could one have you been working independently before you all became a team?"

Akira leaned back and looked up at the sky in thought. There was an answer he wanted to say but...

"Close to impossible. The earliest we had been granted access to that world was April and I was the first one that was able to do so."

He thought it best to omit that piece of information for now. It wasn't a complete lie.

"As our team grew as did the range of the method. Kamoshida’s change of heart was our first official mission so the premise of us having something to do with anything prior is a farce."

"I see. Now can you explain what exactly went wrong in regards to Okumura? And why you had targeted Shujin Academy's Principal Kobayakawa?"

"We had a reason to target Okumura since our team mate needed help. But with that said, we had absolutely no motive to kill him. We did everything the same and it was supposed to be business as usual."

Ohya nodded as she wrote.

"While we deemed him someone we should keep our distance from, we never had our eyes on Principal Kobayakawa nor did we make him our target. We were suspicious of him, yes, but we had no real reason to go after him. We don't needlessly go after targets."

"A calling card was found with Okumura and in Kobayakawa's office. What's your take on that?"

"Like I said; Okurmura was was supposed to be business as usual. But Kobayakawa was not a target, at least not ours. His calling card was a forgery."

“So how do plan on proving your innocence? It seems it would take quite the extreme measure to do so.”

Akira briefly clenched his fists in his lap. "And it will. It all falls on our next job. It’s going to be our biggest one yet.”

“Oh! Gonna steal someone’s heart?”

Akira nodded. “We’re going to steal the heart of an SIU prosecutor.”

“Ah, I see. So you plan on tackling this from the inside out, within enemy territory.”

“If we can stop or at least slow down the police mobilization it’ll buy us time to find the true culprit-”

" _True_ culprit? So there IS someone else behind the shutdowns and murders?”

Akira didn’t mean to let that slip and immediately felt his stomach twist into knots. “Actually...can we...can we stop there?”

“What’s the matter? Sore subject?

Akira sighed dejectedly. “Yes.”

Ohya’s eyes widened and gasped out, “Do you already know who the true culprit is?” Her mouth gaped further when Akira nodded his head.

“Can you tell me who it is? Completely off the record, if you need it to be.”

It left a sour taste in his mouth to mention his name. He can only think of one way to describe him. “...It’s not a team mate. Can I leave it at that?”

“Sure thing, kiddo. Thanks all the same, I got plenty to work with here!”

“Can you do me a favor? Whenever you write this article, don’t release it right away.”

“Huh? Why?” 

“Police mobilization happens on the 20th. Beyond that I don’t know what will happen so that's fair game. But if this information gets out too early, it could lead to more eyes on us and could jeopardize our plans.”

“I see. But what plans? I thought it was just to steal the heart of the prosecutor?”

“We’re also going to use this job to also turn the tides. I can’t say more than that, sorry.”

“I gotcha, I'll save it for a little after the 20th then. If you want to, I can fluff it up a bit to make it sound more like a gossip piece from a fan rather than something to be taken completely seriously.”

“I’d appreciate that, thanks. Well I suppose that’s all I have for you tonight. Not really as big of a scoop as you were expecting, huh?” 

Ohya shrugged. “Anything regarding the phantom thieves is big news at this point. It’s just a matter of how one bit can outdo the next. And having the insight from an actual phantom thief is definitely the way to do outdo them all."

Ohya put her notebook away then fell silent, getting lost in her thoughts as she fully took in everything Akira had told her and everything she had been hearing on television for the last couple of weeks. She then reached over and clasped her hand together with Akira’s.

“You’re...going to be okay right? I mean kiddo; you’re being followed now and not by friendly looking people either.”

This was definitely something he needed to bring up to his teammates. It may not just be him that’s being followed, they all might be. They couldn’t afford any unforeseen incidents when they’re so close.

“They don't want to just arrest you and toss you away to rot. They want to make an example out of you, all of you, especially if this true culprit is allied with them. This country is practically foaming at the mouth to see it all pan out.”

“We’ve become a menace to them. The situation’s bleak, but we’re working on a way out.”

“This other plan of yours?”

“There are still some things to tweak and map out. We’re on working on a crunch with some of us pulling double, almost triple duty. But...we’re getting there, I think.”

“Will it work?”

Akira sighed. “I don’t know yet. There’s a chance...” Akira paused, biting his lip before continuing. “There’s a chance I may not come out of this in one piece.”

“Don’t say that, Akira.”

“I can’t lie to a journalist.”

“Bullshit! You gotta lie to me with stuff like this.”

“I said there’s a chance that I won't. Not that I won’t altogether.”

Ohya closed her eyes before resting her head on Akira’s shoulder. “Akira, I’m too drunk for this charming wordplay. Just...gimme something better than that.”

Akira took a slow deep breath in and a slow one out. “I’ll give you a story unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. The true scoop of the century. I will make it out of this.”

“Promise?”

“As long as you believe in me, then it will be.”

Ohya looked up at the sky. She started counting the number of stars that decorated it before some of them started falling. She closed her eyes again and made a couple of wishes. “Can we...stay like this for a little bit longer?”

Akira squeezed her hand tighter and tilted his head, laying it on top of Ohya’s.

“Sure.”

**~XV~**

Ohya rarely woke up with a hangover.

She hadn’t heard much from Akira since they last talked at the park but kept in contact through text. But as the days marched on his replies got thinner and thinner until they eventually stopped.

On the evening of the 19th, she saw him go offline. 

With the news that broke, it was easy to see why.

The leader of the phantom thieves had been arrested.

Ohya didn’t lose hope. Using the information he gave her, she went to work to write her most outrageous story yet. As per his request, she added a touch of sensationalization so people wouldn’t take it _too_ seriously but made it sound truthful enough to make their minds wander and ponder upon the what-ifs.

But then there was the next bit of breaking news.

The leader of the phantom thieves had committed suicide.

Ohya deleted the article and shut off her laptop, then went to Crossroads to drown herself in Lala’s best, most potent alcohol. She only went so far before Lala woefully cut her off. But Lala was right next to her, Crossroads having been closed for quite some time now and the pair had drunken themselves into a depressed stupor. Lala was still coherent enough to round Ohya up and take her home, where Ohya proceeded to do a couple more rounds with the whiskey she already had in her home.

Ohya woke up, hoping that it was all a dream, a hoax. That Akira was still alive, perhaps just still in police custody. But her hopes were quickly dashed when she checked online. It was all anyone wanted to talk about.

_“I’ll give you a story unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. The true scoop of the century.”_

The scoop of the century was that he was going to take his own life. 

And Ohya had never felt so _betrayed._

But the following day, she found a moment of clarity in her whirlwind of anger and despair.

Why would he say all of this, and then have this happen?

In the time she’s known Akira, he didn’t seem like the kind of person who made empty promises. The determination from that night, no matter how much of it was forced...no none of it was forced. It couldn't be. The conviction he had in his voice when he said those words, that he _will_ make it out of this contradicts these turn of events.

Something wasn’t adding up.

Ohya leapt out of bed and dug through her notes. While she opened up her laptop to retrieve the deleted article from her recycling bin, she shook off the haziness left over from her hangover and recalled the memory of that night.

_The way his thumb caressed hers as he promised her-_

He said there was _a chance_.

_“...it’ll buy us time to find the true culprit-”_

Ohya reread what she wrote in her article. She re-read her notes. The memories and his words, playing and replaying over and over again in her mind.

_“As long as you believe in me...”_

Then realization washed over her like a tsunami.

This grand statement of death was planned from the start from their enemy. But the phantom thieves, knowing this, countered it by using it to their advantage. This was done to not only save themselves but more importantly, their leader.

They were trying to fool the true culprit.

Ohya reached for her phone, pulled up their chat window and saw that he had just recently come back online.

By the looks of it, they succeeded. Their enemies none the wiser.

Ohya couldn't help the grin that came across her face. 

How's that for the scoop of the century?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though Ohya is slightly drunk, does her feeling things™️ make her seem a little too OOC? If so, sorry about that. This chapter was a bit of a doozy to write. I hope you liked it regardless! =)


	8. Moon

**~XVIII~**

"That's all the intel I have for you tonight." Mishima said, "I know you have a lot on your plate right now but even the little things can make society better, right?"

"Of course, and it's not a problem. We can use the extra training anyway. Gotta be at our very best in the coming days."

Akira and Mishima were at their usual spot, the diner in Shibuya. Mishima had just given him the names of two more targets to pursue in Mementos, bringing the phantom thieves’ total target count to four. 

Time management was going to be imperative for the next two or so weeks. Along with the infiltration of Sae’s palace, tackling the targets in mementos, maintaining the aura of normal high school students, they also still had their “side project” to look into. They had a starting point but it was now where the hard work would begin. And the fatigue was gradually starting to seep in.

Speaking of exhaustion, Akira didn’t miss how many times Mishima yawned throughout their conversation or the darkened circles under his eyes. The Phan-site had to be nothing short of a nightmare to deal with since the incident with Okumura.

“Hey Mishima? I want to apologize.”

“Huh? What for?”

“I imagine managing the Phan-site has become more bothersome as of late, and that’s because of us.”

“Mmm.” Mishima swallowed his bite of food. “It definitely has. I’ve been pulling way more all nighters than I expected to weed out the more extreme hate comments. But alas, it’s the life I chose, so it’s the life I live. Don’t worry.”

“We could have been more careful, found it suspect that Okumura had climbed the ranks of that poll so fast.”

“To be frank, I thought it was kinda strange that he climbed the ranks so fast too. Sure he turned out to be a bad person in the end but it was just unnatural the way he gained popularity. He went from being at the bottom of the poll to the top in almost no time. Before Futaba told me otherwise, it was the first instance it felt like a crowd was calling for an execution. It was scary.” Mishima finished off his plate and pushed it to the side.

“Besides it’s not really because of you guys, specifically. It’s because of whoever’s framing you.”

“We still could have been more careful.”

“We both could have, Akira. But like I said, don’t worry about it.”

Akira still felt the guilt pang in his chest but acknowledged his point and decided not to argue it further.

“At this point with the site, I just resorted to filtering out anything dangerous or threatening towards you guys.”

Akira raised a brow. “Threatening?”

“Oh just stuff like: I’m gonna kill the phantom thieves, starting with their leader. I know their identities and where they live, things like that. It’s probably nothing to worry about but I’d rather let the trolls starve and stop stuff like that before they become a full blown thread. Don’t know what situation could unravel if I let them go unchecked.”

Akira briefly wondered…

“Makes sense. But definitely do speak up if something doesn’t settle right with you. We can’t have something unexpected happening.” _We’re just barely managing now…_

“No problem!”

With that aside, Akira tried to shift the topic to something more uplifting. “How’s the documentary coming along?”

“Pretty well! It’s still in the drafting stages but I’ve been making some real progress. As selfish as it sounds, everything that’s been happening lately has been a great source of inspiration and content. I almost wonder if I can fit all of it in just one documentary.”

“A series of documentaries? That’s quite the task. Are you up to it?” 

“Leave it to me! I’ll make it something you guys will be proud of.”

“I’ll be holding you to that.” 

After they paid the bill, Akira and Mishima left the diner and made the short trek to the station square. Akira was about to bid him farewell but noticed that Mishima still looked rather uneasy.

“Something else on your mind?” Akira gestured them over to a bench to sit. Despite it being fairly early in the evening, the station square was quite barren save for the homeless and some left over commuters from the rush. 

Mishima sighed, his breath noticeably shaky. “Seriously though Akira; what are you guys going to do about all this? Is going after Sae _really_ enough?”

Akira pursed his lips. “It’ll at least slow things so we can figure things out a bit more.”

“Slow doesn’t mean _stop_. How do you know they won’t just...take care of Sae the same way they did Okumura or Principal Kobayakawa? You guys will be right back where you are now with your efforts wasted.”

Makoto would personally burn all of Shibuya down.

Akira tapped his fingers on his lap. He shifted his eyes around, canvassing the area to see if there was anyone who was too close to listen. He activated his third eye to do a deeper scan. It was relatively clear, save for the police officers that stood watch near the entrances of the subway.

Since it was night time and because Mishima was still wearing his Shujun uniform, they likely wouldn’t have much time to talk before they were approached.

Akira also made a conscious effort to relax his posture, realizing he felt way more stiff than he should be. He dropped his shoulders and moved his neck from side to side, the residing soft cracks that resonated doing its job in relaxing him further.

He likely _shouldn’t_ be saying anything, especially since this plan was still in its preliminary stages. But if there was anyone else he could trust, outside of his teammates, it would be Mishima. If anything, getting a vote of support could help boost morale.

“Listen to me very carefully, Mishima…” Akira began. “There is something else we are looking into.”

Mishima didn’t need to be told that what he was about to hear was _strictly_ confidential. He proceeded to sit up straighter and nodded.

Akira leaned back. “There’s a...lead of sorts we’re looking into and we’re actually using the infiltration of Sae’s palace as a cover.”

“What kind of lead?” Akira almost didn’t hear the question, with how softly it was whispered.

“There’s...someone on our team who's not who they claim they are. They have an ulterior motive. They’re the one who suggested that we go after Sae and actually forced us to do so via blackmail.”

Mishima’s eyes widened. “So they figured out who you are and they have proof.” He furrowed his brows. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Why blackmail you into something that could be beneficial for you?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. But in the meantime we just have to go with the flow of things. Police mobilization begins on the 20th and at that point they’ll stop at nothing to apprehend the phantom thieves. But where it gets truly outrageous is that they’re willing to fabricate any kind of evidence to do so.”

“What do you mean?”

“They may not arrest us, per se, but they could have the means of pinning this on random, innocent citizens. The way I see it, anyone I’m seen associating with could not only be seen as an ally but as a full fledged phantom thief altogether. They could even make our group a lot larger than it actually is.”

“Even me?”

“Especially you. Out of all the people that could be falsely caught up in this, it would be you. Think about it; if they were able to gain access through some kind of back door of your website, they’ve likely already traced you too.”

“Oh man.” Mishima muttered, as the true weight of the situation sunk in. “This is...really bad isn’t it.”

“I’m not trying to scare you, I’m really not. I just want to be as realistic as possible with you here. There’s not really much room for much else.”

“No, I appreciate it. I should be careful.” 

“I _truly_ am sorry for this, Yuuki. I never intended for this to happen. If we paid more attention, maybe this could have been avoided.”

“You better be including me, in that “we”, Akira. Like I said, we’re both partially at fault here. But the true fault ultimately lies with whoever is actually doing this.”

“Yeah…” The pair fell into a heavy silence, the faint hustle and bustle of central street straining to reach their ears.

“So, what exactly are you guys going to do?”

Akira leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together in front of his face. “Something...incredibly risky. It’s a massive gamble but it may be our only way out of this where no one gets harmed. But we’re not even sure if it’ll completely work.”

“When you say risky…” Mishima already had a feeling what he meant.

“It’ll be nothing short of life or death.”

But he still dreaded hearing those words. “Is that really the only way?” Akira simply nodded in response, staring off into the distance.

“I don’t want to doubt you guys, I really don’t and I don’t think I will. But just hearing all this...I don’t know how I can believe in you. Trust me when I say that I want to-”

“I’m not surprised to hear it and don’t worry, I’m not mad about it. I’d have a tough time believing it too.” Akira returned to the way he was sitting before. “But if we have nothing else, why not believe, huh?”

“I suppose.” Mishima shrugged, still not fully convinced.

“A lot is gonna happen in the coming days,” Akira said. “It might be hard to not see things at face value but I know of one way you might be able to see beyond what’s given you.”

“How?”

Akira looked up at the sky, taking note that the moon wasn’t present in the otherwise clear sky. He saw a streak of light fly across the sky before fading away.

“You won’t see it at first. But when the time comes, look up at the sky. The truth will be right above you.”

As if on cue, Akira’s phone vibrated. They had made plans to go in tonight to inspect things further and the text message had been inquiring if he was almost at the meeting spot. Akira unlocked his phone and fired off a response that he was nearby, taking care of something.

“I have to go. Don’t forget this conversation, okay?”

“Be careful, Akira. I don’t know what I’d do if...if..." Mishima looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed at the tears that began to well up in his eyes.

Akira gently patted his head, causing Mishima to look up at him through his lashes. Despite the grim feeling in his heart, Akira managed a tender smile. “Just know I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for us, Yuuki. But I’ll be truly grateful if you don’t stop believing in us. And in me.” He playfully ruffled his hair before looking up again, spotting another streak of light in the sky.

“Shooting stars tonight. Make a wish.” With that said and after a final pat on the shoulder, he turned to leave, heading for the train station.

Mishima continued to watch Akira’s retreating figure until he disappeared into the depths of the subway. Once he was out of sight, he looked up at the sky just in time to see stars beginning to rain down on Shibuya.

_“Make a wish.”_

Mishima stayed in that spot and made as many as he could.

**~** **XVIII~**

Other than some pleasantries during class and in the hallway, Mishima and Akira hadn’t spoken much after that night at the square. Mishima noticed Akira had been nodding off in class more and there was even a time he had to wake him up on the train so he wouldn't miss his stop. The other members looked just as stressed and tired but did their best to keep up appearances. He noticed Haru going up to the rooftop more often to tend to her gardening and sometimes Akira would go up there with her. He was surprised to see Makoto in Akihabara, heading into the arcade with Futaba and Ryuji. He even spotted Ann and Yusuke together once or twice in Shibuya’s Underground Mall, doing a combination of people watching and discussing the aesthetics of food. It was an odd conversation but somehow it just worked. 

Only he noticed the days when their presence was more scarce. And he knew on those days they were hard at work. Mishima was happy to see that those mementos requests had been fulfilled and he was working on finding more, informing Akira that he was looking into some leads that had shown up on the site.

They all, himself included, worked together like a well-oiled machine. But to anyone else, they looked like normal high school students.

Mishima got off the train one evening after school and had just made his way up the stairs when he bumped into someone, his phone clattering to the ground. When he bent down to pick it up, a dark colored glove hand came into his view and picked it up for him. 

Mishima felt his heart thump in his chest when he saw who it was.

“Oh my apologies, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” The figure took note of the content that was on his screen. A breach of privacy but considering how brightly colored the content was, it was unfortunately easy enough to excuse.

“Ah, the Phan-site. So you’re the admin of that website, correct?”

Mishima’s blood ran cold. To anyone else, he should have just looked like someone who was browsing the site, just like everyone else. He wasn’t in admin mode in the slightest, his phone’s browser not allowing such liberties.

“Thanks for the work that you do for us. It’s greatly appreciated.” The figure then shot him his signature television smile before excusing himself, heading down the stairs Mishima just came up from.

Instead of heading to the diner to do some work on his laptop, Mishima immediately turned to go home. He practically burst through the doors of his home and barely acknowledged his mom asking if he was alright. He ran straight up the stairs and into his room, locking the door behind him. He leaned against the door before sliding down to the floor.

Without missing another beat, Mishima pulled out his phone and texted Akira what had happened. He got a response almost immediately.

**Akira: Are you okay? Did he say anything to you? I’m adding Futaba to the chat.**

**Mishima: I’m okay. He just identified me as the admin of the Phan-site, even though I wasn’t doing anything remotely admin like on my phone. I shouldn’t have been on the site in public like that.**

**Akira: It’s okay, it’s not your fault.**

**Futaba: This isn't good. He knows you’re not just some NPC.**

**Akira: Is there anything you can do, Futaba?**

**Futaba: I can extend my surveillance to see if they’re watching Mishima too. But beyond that it’s a wall. I can’t really do anything more at the moment.**

**Futaba: VPC, don’t be surprised if you have an extra set of eyes on you as soon as tomorrow.**

_“I’m screwed…”_

**Akira: Unfortunately, this also means you HAVE to keep your distance. Not just from me, but from all of us.**

**Mishima: I get that. I should probably head straight home after school from now on too.**

**Akira: If you have a routine, don’t change it. It’ll look more suspicious if it looks like you’re trying to avoid something or someone. You don’t know who could be watching and when.**

**Futaba: Just be your normal, ordinary NPC high school student self. Not a shifty VPC who has connections and a lot to lose.**

**Futaba: I’ll give you my info. If the situation escalates and you don’t feel safe, I have an encrypted server you can contact me on and we’ll go from there, cool?**

**Mishima: Okay. Thanks guys.**

**Futaba: Np! \^^/**

**Akira: Stay safe Mishima.**

Mishima closed the chat window then turned off his phone. He stood up from the floor and placed his phone on his desk, tossing his bag on the chair. He walked over to the window and stared outside. The sky was full of clouds tonight, all but blocking the stars that wanted to mystify all with their shine

But one thing managed to stand out from beyond the clouds that oddly restored some semblance of peace in Mishima.

A half moon.

**~XVIII~**

Mishima was alone in the school’s library when he was startled by the sudden sound of a girl’s gasp followed by falling papers. He got up from his seat, cracked the door open and peered out. He spotted Makoto in the hallway, looking uncharacteristically shaken up as she stared at nothing. When he was about to call out to her, she immediately turned and bolted down the stairs, leaving the scattered papers behind. Mishima wanted to pursue her to see if she was okay but wasn’t sure how he could approach Makoto. Akira did mention that she was the more unexpectedly terrifying member of the phantom thieves, despite her cool and well-mannered demeanor. That alone fed his hesitation. 

So instead he decided to leave it be. He could just ask tomorrow.

It wasn’t until he got on the train to go home that he heard the news

_The leader of the phantom thieves has committed suicide._

Mishima couldn’t help the “WHAT?!” that all but exploded out of his mouth, much to the confusion of the other passengers. 

He immediately pulled out his phone and pulled up the phan-site. The comments confirmed his fears; everyone was talking about it, comments coming in faster than he could read. Some comments expressed shock and disbelief, and others, to his disgust, expressed relief, joy, and happiness.

Mishima knew of his arrest, that news was hard to overlook. He was working on the site overnight when he suddenly got an influx of comments, nearly causing the site to crash. When he double-checked the news it was confirmed. The leader of the phantom thieves had indeed been apprehended and was in police custody.

Mishima just assumed it was part of their risky plan and didn’t dwell on it.

But now this? A suicide?

Mishima couldn’t even begin to wrap his mind around it. It was baffling whichever way he tried to look at it.

Akira had been captured and he in turn committed suicide. That sentence just did not make any worldly sense.

Mishima went through his contacts, chose Futaba's and started a new chat. There were so many things he wanted to ask but settled on one: _Is it true?_

She read his message but never replied.

**~XVIII~**

Mishima didn’t sleep that night. He spent all night watching the phan-site. He had even, rather impulsively, changed the survey question

_Did the leader of the phantom thieves really commit suicide?_

It was a rather selfish question to impose on the public, because he had been asking himself that question. And he was stumped. So he figured that if he couldn’t come up with an answer he hoped that someone else could for him.

The morning begrudgingly came too soon. He didn’t want to go to school today but if he was to continue “keeping up appearances” he had no choice but to go.

Shujin Academy was abuzz with the news, the teachers working overtime to keep the fleeting attention of the students. But he had noticed something rather odd, more so with a very specific cluster of students.

Akira’s friends, the other phantom thieves, seemed rather...unbothered about the news. 

Ann was still bubbly and social. Ryuji rebellious and loud. Makoto, despite her minor breakdown in the hallway the other day, had done a complete 180 and was her usual composed, prim and proper self. While he noticed Haru looked a little more downtrodden, even she seemed relatively unshaken. Moreover, they seemed to be keeping their distance from one another on purpose. Not even a glance was exchanged or, from what he observed from Ann, a text message.

They overall appeared...normal.

And it bothered Mishima to no end.

He wasn’t expecting a full scale counter-attack but...he was. He thought he’d see some kind of spark of action from one of them, particularly Ryuji. But they all stayed quiet. As if they were simply observing.

But...what?

Mishima pondered upon it more during his train ride home. Though instead of taking the train straight home, he stopped by in Shibuya, walking through the station square. He sat down on a bench, the same spot that he and Akira had sat when they talked that night.

A night that felt like it was in another lifetime.

Mishima stiffened when he spotted _him_ in the distance heading for the stairs with a rather strange sense of urgency. But he didn’t seem to notice him and Mishima relaxed once he disappeared with the crowd down the stairs.

Mishima sat in that spot in thought, soon losing track of the time. Only being finally informed of how much had passed by the changing hue of the sky and the street lights flickering on. He stared at his phone, mindlessly stared at the phan-site, hoping that an epiphany would miraculously grant him the answer he craved.

The results of his survey question had not helped at all. A majority of the answers had been a sneering, sardonic “yes”, with the others expressing baseless skepticism.

The answer was in front of him. So why was he still doubting it?

Doubt…

It was easy to doubt but hard to do so all the same.

 _“_ _It might be hard to not see things at face value…”_

He looked up at the sky and was graced by the beauty of the full moon.

Full moon…

_“Don’t forget this conversation.”_

Then it finally hit Mishima. Why did Akira act the way he did that night? He expressed deep regret, provided overwhelming comfort, and had confided in him, his own worries and doubts. As a matter of fact, his words had suddenly shifted from vague to noticeably ominous.

When had that happened and why?

Akira’s eyes were constantly surveilling the area as they talked, until they landed on one specific corner of the square. His silver eyes immediately darkened and his gaze was full of ice. And Mishima realized that’s the moment where his tone shifted. It was slight and subtle, but it was there.

Mishima thought it was empty in the square but...someone unsavory was in fact nearby. And Akira needed to make it sound like it was going to be the last time they would see each other.

Because in their eyes, it was going to be. It was their personal mission to see it through.

Akira’s words may have sounded like a goodbye but they weren’t. It was to _create_ the illusion.

Akira had performed that guise under the power of the new moon. It, like he, was full of infinite possibilities; the new moon was the prospect of a new day and he, the prospect of a new hope. 

Everyone did their part in the performance after the fact. Projecting the aura of ordinary high school students, not those who had lost a guiding hand as well as a dear friend.

It was all to _maintain_ the illusion.

_“...when the time comes, look up at the sky. The truth will be right above you.”_

And now under the power of the full moon, that new hope had been actualized. A rather grim situation had been avoided and they were now in the midst of a turn around. This fight wasn’t over yet, it had just entered a new phase.

_“...don’t stop believing in us. And in me.”_

And Mishima was now behind them 100%, the last of his doubts melting away.

His phone beeped, signaling that he had a new message. When he checked he saw that it was a message from an encrypted number. 

**Alibaba: The boy’s back home, safe & sound. Drop him a line when you get a chance.**

True to their words, Akira was indeed back online and Mishima didn’t waste a single second more to send him a message.

**Mishima: The leader of the phantom thieves couldn’t have possibly fallen in the way that he did...**

**Mishima: ...right???**

A few minutes went by before he got a reply.

**Akira: Of course not.**

**Akira: All good here.**

**Akira: :o)**

Unable to hold them back any further, Mishima finally let his emotions go and wept in the comforting arms of the damsel moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moon. Literally. Idk it's 2am and things don't make sense *throws a pillow*


	9. Tower

** ~XVI~ **

“Hell yeah! That was awesome, Akira!”

Shinya’s cheers filled the arcade. Him and Akira had just finished a heated one on one game against each other. Their bout had attracted quite the large crowd, many of them in shock and awe that The King seemed to have finally and also legitimately, met his match. Well nearly anyway. Shinya had won narrowly with Akira managing to push him to his limits.

“You should think about joining a tournament! You and I would totally smoke the competition at the co-op ones.”

Akira took a moment to catch his breath before laughing softly. “Nah, that’s okay. But thanks for the consideration.”

“Wanna do another round?” Shinya asked excitedly and was about to push start before Akira put a hand out to stop him. With his other hand, Akira took out his phone to check the time. “Sorry, dude but it’s getting late.”

“Aww!”

Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at his little pout. “Tell you what, before we split, how about we grab something quick to eat?”

Shinya immediately perked up. “Sure! Oh! And you can tell me more about the phantom thieves. We haven’t talked about them in a while.”

Shinya and Akira put the controllers for Gun About back on the machine and then left the arcade. Shinya said he was in the mood for Big Bang Burger so they hopped on the train to Shibuya. After placing and receiving their orders, they sat down at a table with their food.

“How’s your mom doing?” Akira asked, taking a bite of his burger.

“Much better since the phantom thieves changed her heart. She’s a lot happier and way calmer. She even...apologized which is nice.”

Akira smiled. “That’s good. I’ll let the phantom thieves know it was a complete success.”

Shinya put his burger down and leaned back in his seat. “Akira...do you think I would be a good phantom thief?”

“I think everyone has a shot at being a phantom thief. It really depends on you.”

“But what could I do though? I mean the phantom thieves are so badass! And I’m just a kid.”

“Age doesn’t mean anything as long as you have a strong sense of justice.” Akira replied. “Plus, from what I know, the Phantom Thieves aren’t that much older than you.”

“How do you figure?”

Akira shrugged nonchalantly. “Just a hunch.”

“Still...what I could DO as a phantom thief? I don’t really offer much.”

“Not true.” Akira leaned back, smiling. “I could see you as a guns specialist.”

Shinya furrowed his brows. “Guns specialist? I’ve never shot an actual gun, Akira.”

“I would hope you haven’t,” Akira responded. “You need to think outside the box. Being the King of Gun About could totally make you the ace shot of the phantom thieves.”

“You think so?” Shinya sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think I’d fit in all that well. I’ve mostly been on my own before meeting you.”

“That’s true. But the fact that you’re willing to co-op with me now shows that you’ve grown past that. You’re already in the mindset of working within a team.”

“So being a part of the phantom thieves is like one big co-op game?”

“That’s one way to look at it, yeah. Everyone’s contributing in some form. Even the smallest thing or hobby can add a special touch. The more unique, the better.”

“You really think being good at video games could transfer over to being a phantom thief?”

Akira thought fondly back to the time he had first learned Down Shot from Shinya. While limited, it has more than once gotten them out of a pinch with some of the more trickier enemies they had to face. Bullet hail had been an absolute blessing when traversing through the tougher floors of Mementos. And warning shots paid dividends when it came to obtaining the more stubborn personas. “Without a doubt in my mind.”

“How exactly would I fit in? I know we’d all be a team, but wouldn’t it be hard to flow well together?”

Akira shook his head. “Not really. While everyone has their strengths, everyone has their weaknesses too. No one person is that much stronger than each other so everyone would just balance each other out in the end.”

“I guess it would be kinda cheesy if one person was just overpowered as hell.” 

Akira heard Arsene laughing in the back of his mind. “Let’s break it down even further,” Akira crossed his legs, leaning forward. “To start, phantom thieves gotta have a leader right?”

“Yeah! The one calling all the shots!” Shinya exclaimed. “So cool.”

Akira fought back a grin. “Now, everyone’s fighting in some capacity. While the leader is more well-rounded in all aspects, you’ll definitely have your main hard hitters; the ones that can dish out the most damage when it’s needed. And you’ll have the supporters who can heal or add an extra boost to the rest of the team.”

Shinya nodded, taking a sip of his soda.

“While the leader generally calls the shots, even he still needs some help. That would be where a strategist comes in. They can analyze an enemy and advise the rest of the team on how to attack. They can point out any weakness or will warn everyone if there is none at all."

“Makes sense.”

“To dive into attack styles a little more, some may specialize with physical attacks while others may excel in elemental types; fire, wind, stuff like that.”

“Where do you think I’d lie?”

Akira hummed, thinking for a moment. “Probably an even mix between elemental and physical, maybe leaning a little more towards physical? Gun skills would definitely be the area you outclass everyone in. Hell, I don’t think you’d ever miss a shot.”

“Damn straight!” Shinya pumped a fist. “Oh! And these worlds that they’re fighting in are huge, right? They definitely have a navigator.”

“Exactly. An extra set of eyes floating above, providing extra support, giving extra tips in battle and the like.”

“Ohhh cool! I think I’m getting it now.”

“So as the guns specialist, along with fighting, you’d be the one with all the secret tips and tricks around wielding a gun. There are probably some skills you have that can’t really be taught but it’d definitely give that extra edge in battle, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right! Wow, thanks Akira.”

“No problem, Shinya. You’d make a great phantom thief, I’m sure of it.”

“You think they’d actually let me join?”

“I’ll try to put in a good word for you,” Akira winked. “No promises though. They’ve been pretty busy lately so I’m not sure recruiting is open.”

“Oh,” Shinya’s face fell a little. “Because of all the stuff with Okumura, right?”

“Yeah, they’ve been trying to figure stuff out. It’s made all the more dangerous by the fact that the police are closing in on them, too.”

“All of that is bullshit, though! There’s no way the phantom thieves would kill anyone! I mean I asked them to change my mom’s heart around the time Okumura died so why would they kill him and spare my mom?”

Akira snorted. “Ask anyone else and they’d probably think your mom wasn’t a worthy target or something.”

“Fuck that! The phantom thieves have never killed anyone and they wouldn’t fucking start now!”

Shinya’s profanity laced exclamation caught the attention of the other diners nearby, many of them sending disapproving looks their way.

“...That’ll be a hundred yen in the swear jar when we get home, ” Akira sternly said, hoping that it would ease them off.

Shinya exhaled. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get so worked up. Just hearing that shit pisses me off. It’s such a pain.”

Akira quickly realizes that Shinya and Ryuji could be quite the entertaining duo. “It definitely is, but it is what it is unfortunately.”

“Well no matter what, I’ll always believe in the phantom thieves.”

Akira smiled. “Thanks Shinya.”

Shinya raised a brow as he took a sip of his soda. Akira, realizing his small slip, quickly added, “I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear that.”

“They helped my mom, and they sort of helped me too. I don’t care if I’m the only one in the world supporting them, I’ll never doubt them.”

“They’ll be counting on you then.”

“All right! It's a promise!”

The pair finished off their food and threw away their trash then left Big Bang Burger. To ensure he got back safely, Akira rode the train back to Akihabara with Shinya the two of them sharing some small talk on the ride there. When they arrived, Akira dropped him off wished him well and turned to leave.

After a moment of contemplation, Shinya spoke up. “Hey Akira?” 

Akira stopped and turned around. “What’s up?”

Shinya looked down, tapping the tip of his foot on the ground nervously. “Be careful okay?”

Akira walked back over and crouched down to make better eye contact. “Hm? Why do you say that?”

Shinya tilted his head, using the tip of his hat to further conceal his face. “I-I’ve just been hearing about a lot of crime in Shibuya, you know? Like that homeless assassin guy? You’re my only link to the phantom thieves so…”

Akira was confused for a moment before his expression quickly turned to one of fondness. “I’ll be fine, but thanks Shinya. I’ll see you around?”

“Y-yeah! See you later!” Shinya turned and ran off, leaving a now confused Akira behind.

 _“Assassin?”_ Akira thought to himself. He pulled out his phone and texted Mishima, asking if he could look into it on the site.

** ~XVI~ **

During a moment of downtime in a safe room of Mementos, Akira realized that Shinya had been rather quiet lately.

The days had flown by with it already being the 14th. And while he’d been seeing everyone rather consistently, Shinya seemed to be the only person that seemed to be deliberately distant. Before going into Mementos, he sent a message to everyone (except his team mates, of course) to see if they needed anything or needed to talk. He got responses saying things were fine or they were otherwise busy.

Shinya was the only person who didn’t respond.

Akira thought back to the last time they hung out. Shinya seemed uncharacteristically worried about him, almost without reason. It wasn’t the first time danger littered the streets of Shibuya and even now the aura of it was still palpable. The assassin Shinya was referring to had been a mementos target they took care of more than a month prior.

Akira being the only point of contact between him and the phantom thieves seemed to be a rather shoehorned reason for Shinya’s heightened concern. 

Unless...

“Joker, shall we proceed? We still have two more targets left ahead of us.”

Akira shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to the rest of his team mates. “Yeah. Everyone good to go?”

After using an item to heal the group, Akira led them down the steps to the next floor. Unfortunately it was a floor that had nothing but difficult shadows. Bullet hail would be key to traversing through here.

But for some reason, Akira wasn’t able to call upon it. As they entered each battle, his finger was ready on the trigger but couldn’t find the will to pull it or the command to unleash it. His team mates could no doubt feel the pull as well but without his direct command, they stayed their hand.

It was as if something was blocking him…

** ~XVI~ **

Shinya was walking home from the arcade. He saw Akira’s text about hanging out, possibly playing more Gun About, but he had ignored his message. His playing today had been rather lackluster too, some people making note that he seemed to have thrown some of the matches he should have won.

But Shinya didn’t care. For once, Gun About wasn’t worth his time today.

He knew in his heart that Akira was connected to the phantom thieves but questioned if that’s all there was to it or it was even the case at all. Akira always indulged him with stories about the phantom thieves, even providing exclusive insight to their inner workings. But it all seemed too well put together. Too fantastical, all things considered, and a little TOO indulgent.

Was Akira just humoring him just to get his way? After all, Akira initially wanted to take down the infamous cheater and after a little legwork, the pair had struck a deal; Gun About teachings for Phantom Thieves content.

Whether it genuinely developed into an actual love for the game or he was just keeping up the facade to save face, Shinya just wasn’t sure anymore.

Why would Akira want to hang out with a lonely kid like him anyway? Pity? Because he’d be easy to take advantage of? Or did he actually _want_ to befriend him? Did Akira see him as a brother the same way he was starting to? In the darkest part of Shinya’s heart he felt their bond was more superficial than authentic.

Would the phantom thieves really consider letting a kid like him join their group? He suspected that in actuality, it was nothing but a pipe dream.

Shinya wiped furiously at the tears that began to well up, his sadness quickly turning to anger and frustration.

_“...no matter what, I’ll always believe in the phantom thieves.”_

Why should he even bother with a group who wouldn’t think to give him the time of day anyway?

** ~XVI~ **

News about the phantom thieves continued to dominate the airwaves and Shinya couldn't help but be glued to every word that was being broadcast. Everything ranging from a speech from a politician stating that they needed to be taken down for the sake of Japan’s future to newscasters giving their opinions and around the clock updates in regards to police strategy. What stood out to Shinya the most was that detective all of a sudden flipping his stance on the phantom thieves. 

Shinya couldn’t stand him.

Each day that passed, Shinya’s desire to reach out and ask if the phantom thieves were okay kept growing. But that doubt in his mind kept him from actually pressing send, instead deleting the message and turning off his phone for the day. When he would turn his phone on the next day, Shinya would find a text from Akira asking if he’s okay since he would sometimes be online while he was typing.

Shinya ignored those too.

Then the day came when the leader of the phantom thieves had been arrested.

With the demise of the phantom thieves seeming to be on the horizon, he almost felt guilty for harboring so much doubt towards the group he once revered and looked up to. This would be the time they needed his support the most and he so badly wanted to continue cheering for them, to believe that this wasn't the end. But he just couldn’t find it in his heart to do so.

Especially with the latest breaking news.

_“Reports have confirmed that the leader of the phantom thieves has committed suicide while in police custody.”_

Shinya’s world seemed to flip upside down, his heart shattering into the smallest fragments. Any bit of hope he may have had left in him had completely vanished. Without their leader, they were done for.

The phantom thieves...lost the war.

And Shinya felt silly for ever believing in them. 

On shaky legs, Shinya stood up, mumbled a good night to his mother and went to his room. He let the tears fall freely. The pulsing of his broken heart kept him away from the numbing sleep he desired.

When Shinya woke up the next day, he stubbornly hoped that the news of the phantom thief’s arrest & suicide was just a bad dream. But it was a hot topic amongst everyone, even his own classmates. 

As he was heading home from school, he would overhear the conversations amongst the passersby. No one showed remorse or sadness, most of them believing it was a long time coming for thieves’ supposed heinous acts. Just a month ago, if anyone dared to talk negatively about the phantom thieves, Shinya wouldn’t hesitate to set them straight. But now being a doubter himself, he just went through the motions. The phantom thieves were no more. That was the harsh truth he had to accept.

_“...no matter what, I’ll always believe in the phantom thieves.”_

Hope was a stubborn thing and Shinya's had risen from the ashes. From it, a new seed of doubt had been planted and quickly blossomed.

With everything he knew about the phantom thieves, did it really make sense for the leader of the phantom thieves to just commit suicide like that?

He found this to be all too convenient. The leader of the phantom thieves is captured and dies the next day? From a gun he took from a police officer?

This scenario was easy to accept for those who hated the phantom thieves, the news bringing them a cathartic sense of relief; there was one less danger off the streets.

But could that really be the case? Shinya always suspected that the phantom thieves were being framed by whoever really did these crimes. And if there was indeed someone else behind those murders and breakdowns, that means the streets were never safe at all. As a matter of fact, they just became unimaginably more dangerous.

But the phantom thieves knew that.

_"...everyone’s fighting in some capacity."_

There needed to be a plan, a strategy to overcome this. And they had one. Even with their backs against the wall, they had one last trick up their sleeves. They refused to let it end like this. And they wouldn't. It didn't. They unleashed one last counter attack.

The ultimate form of a Down Shot.

And it hit the target _perfectly_.

Shinya immediately pulled out his phone and pulled up their chat. While he was fairly certain, he had to see for himself. He _had_ to be sure. But then as he began to type, noticed something rather off-putting.

Akira had been offline for 27 hours.

If the leader of the phantom thieves was dead and Akira has been offline all this time… 

He immediately quelled the sense of dread that crept up his spine and shook his head at the grim thought. “No, I’m going to believe, just like I said. No matter what!” Throwing the last of his reservations away, Shinya typed a simple message. 

**Shinya: The phantom thieves are okay, right?**

**Shinya: ...and you’re okay too?**

Shinya's hope, above all else, was stubborn. And it granted him the patience to see the true outcome of all this. But deep in his heart? He already knew the answer.

He believed.

** ~XVI~ **

Shinya got a response two days later. Akira had affirmed that the phantom thieves are okay but Shinya noticed he didn’t directly answer his second message. The two made plans to catch up in a round of Gun About after Shinya was released from school. Once the final bell for the day rang, Shinya grabbed his stuff and ran out at breakneck speed, much to the confusion of his classmates.

When he arrived in Electric Town, he found Akira outside the arcade, leaning against a wall, his attention on his phone. Shinya quickly noticed that he wasn’t wearing his Shujin uniform despite it being after school. Instead, he had donned a hoodie and wore said hood rather snugly around his head. As if he was trying to hide. Not wanting to shout he walked a little closer.

“Hey Akira.”

Upon hearing his name, Akira’s head immediately snapped up, his body tense. But he quickly and visibly relaxed when he saw who the voice belonged to. He tucked his phone away and removed his hood. “What’s up Shinya?”

“Um…” Shinya shoved his hands in his pockets and tapped his foot nervously on the ground. 

Akira pushed off the wall. “Hmm? Everything okay?”

“Y-yeah, um...” Throwing caution to the wind, Shinya leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Akria’s waist. He was mildly surprised by the sudden affectionate gesture but returned the embrace.

“I’m...glad you’re safe.” 

Akira patted his head with a smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Shinya squeezed him tighter. "Because...the leader of the phantom thieves is dead and stuff. I thought...”

“You thought?” Akira pressed, while rubbing the upper part of Shinya's back to comfort him.

“I thought...you got hurt too.” Shinya hesitated, then spoke softly, “Since...you’re a phantom thief and all.”

Akira let out a soft chuckle. He motioned for Shinya to relinquish his hold and he did so quickly with a slight blush. Akira then crouched down to meet Shinya at eye level. "What happened to believing in us, huh?"

Shinya rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I-I broke my promise. Some stuff got into my head and...I started to suspect things, suspect you. I...I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"Don't worry. I'm not mad, Shinya."

Shinya sniffed. "Are you sure?"

Akira smiled and patted his shoulders. "Of course. I'm sorry I ever created doubt for you. It was unfortunately a risk I had to take and I truly am sorry for that. I'll make it up to you."

Shinya wiped at his eyes, now smiling. "It's okay. At least it worked out, huh?"

"We still have to play it safe, but we're out of the immediate danger zone for now. I'm going to need to lay low for a little while."

"I get it. As long as we can keep hanging out!"

After sharing one more tight hug, Akira stood back up and they stepped into the arcade to play some rounds of Gun About. They went to vacant machine and they each grabbed a controller.

"I'm gonna teach you my ultimate trick, The Oda Special, today so make sure you pay attention!"

"You got it, sensei."

"But in return you got to teach me your ultimate trick, _sensei_."

"What trick?" Akira asked.

"The trick you used to get out of that! That was like the ultimate Down Shot maneuver. I gotta use that in a tournament one day!"

Akira nodded. "Trick for a trick. Sounds like a good deal to me."

"What're you gonna call it?"

Akira pondered for a moment and then responded, "The Phantom Shot?"

"Fucking badass!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This chapter took A G E S I'm so sorry]  
> I read that Shinya's confidant was among the list of ones that could be reversed before the idea was scrapped so I tried to implement it a little here. While everyone's confidant level in this story is at rank 10, Shinya here is actually at 9. So when/how he figures out that Akira is a phantom thief has been remixed a bit. Hope that's okay =)
> 
> As always thanks for reading <3


	10. Sun

**~XIX~**

Akira was helping Yoshida pack up for the night. Yoshida had just finished up another round of speeches in the station square and it had gone without any major issues. Compared to months ago when he was first starting out, the audience had been overwhelmingly supportive tonight. Akira was sure there were still some nay-sayers in the large crowd but for one reason or another they decided not to heckle. All they heard and felt was positivity.

Akira couldn't help but be the tiniest bit of envious.

“Now then, I believe today is the last day we’ll be meeting?”

Those words caused Akira to stiffen before Yoshida continued, “As I told you, election campaigning begins tomorrow. I will no longer be requiring your assistance nor will I have time to teach you. Then again, I’ve taught you all that I can.”

Akira loosened a bit, clenching and unclenching his fists to settle his rattled nerves. "Busy days ahead, huh?"

“It'll be the culmination of all our hard work," Yoshida replied. "The night is still young, care to walk with me?”

Akira agreed and they headed towards Central street. Since it wasn't too late in the evening, the area was still fairly crowded. The brisk November air did little on deterring people from exploring the city. Though there were some mumblings expressing fear of being out on the streets while they were so dangerous. Some even dashed down the stairs into the subway with a heightened sense of urgency, under the impression that they were being pursued.

The prospect of walking down a street at the same a phantom thief could be struck fear into the hearts of many.

Akira wondered how they would react knowing they were partially right.

“The Phantom Thieves and No-Good-Tora. Would it be presumptuous of me to see our situations as similar?” Yoshida asked. 

“How do you mean?” Akira inquired.

“For one, we were both caught up in scandals we never meant to be in. On different scales of course.”

Akira chuckled at the notion of their situation of being called a scandal. “How do you know that as truth?”

“What’s that?”

“That the phantom thieves never meant to be caught up in all this; maybe we weren’t what everyone thought we were. The truth could just coming to light now.”

Yoshida shook his head. "Not likely."

Akira raised a brow. "You sound very sure about that."

"The only thing the phantom thieves have become are scapegoats. It isn’t hard to see that someone, someone with malicious intentions, has manipulated these events in their favor to push their agenda. Manipulated the aura of the phantom thieves to make them look like the villain while they look like the hero.”

Akira hummed. “And at the same time, someone knows how to distort the media itself to push _their own_ agenda."

“A vicious cycle,” Yoshida sighed. “With everything that’s happened, this heel turn is far too sudden. It almost feels calculated."

“It’s not that sudden if you contextualize it. The theory that all our past targets have been practice or warm ups have been a popular one and it...frankly makes sense in the grand scheme of things.”

Yoshida shook his head. “As much merit that theory may have, after getting to know you personally, I simply cannot believe in something like that.”

“Care to elaborate why?”

“The world of politics can be dirty and dangerous. Had I been the wrong type of person, I could have asked you to eliminate those who opposed me; those who dared to call me No-Good-Tora. I could even go as far as to ask you to eliminate my political opponents just so I could run without any challenge. But I know that you would have sooner led the phantom thieves to change my own heart than stop those of my opponents.”

“If the world of politics is as dirty as you say, we likely would have continued to go after them, after taking care of you first,” Akira replied. “Though your heart would likely harbour the greatest distortion.”

“I almost wonder if the phantom thieves existed all those years ago, if I would have been one of the individuals to receive a calling card. Maybe it would have saved me the political humiliation if I atoned sooner.”

“Maybe, but you clearly have changed and healed your own heart. Sure it took more time, but you still came out a better man for it. And that’s what matters in the end, doesn’t it?” Akira felt he was directing that question more at himself than at Yoshida.

“Hm. That’s the question, isn’t it?” 

“Even though I knew of your past crimes, I don’t, or rather, never saw you as the man everyone claimed you to be. No-Good-Tora just doesn’t fit your current persona.”

“And just as you don’t see me as No-Good-Tora, I don’t see you or your team as criminals or a poison to society. If anything, you, yourselves, have been poisoned by the true criminals.”

Akira couldn’t help but snicker to himself. Yoshida’s deductions could easily rival those of the so-called detective prince.

“And if I know you as well as I think I do, I know you’re in the process of trying to get rid of that poison.”

Akira shrugged. “That’s one way to look at it.”

Yoshida stopped in front of the Beef Bowl Shop. “I’ve overcome my problems, my path now clear, and my mind set on the future. How will the phantom thieves fare?"

Akira bounced on his heels. “Hopefully with the same amount of success as you. Maybe more.”

Yoshida smiled. “I like the sound of that. Now then, may I treat you to a meal? It’s the least I can do for all your help these last couple of months.”

Akira checked the time on his phone. It was starting to get a little late but he figured that now that they had finished all their important prep, all that was left to do was rest up and energize until the big day. Getting a nice warm meal would be a great start to that. “That would be nice, thank you.”

They entered the shop, took their seats at a booth and ordered, each of them getting beef bowls. They continued making some small talk until their food arrived then fell into a comfortable silence as they ate their meals.

“I must ask, how do the phantom thieves plan on overcoming all of this? I was able to, more or less, talk my way out of my situation, but talking would do very little in fixing something like this.”

Akira leaned back in his chair, letting the food warm and soothe his body. “We have a plan. It’s risky and it...may not work but...it’s the best we’re going to have. And if we can pull it off, it will be the best thing we have done and to possess in our arsenal.”

Yoshida leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. “What does it entail, if I may?”

Akira looked up at the news broadcast that was playing on the television. “Police will begin mobilizing soon.” He looked back at Yoshida. “You already said it earlier. Today is the last day we’re going to meet.”

Yoshida’s eyes widened once realization set in. “Akira…” He shook his head. “Surely there must be another way-”

“It’s the only way. My arrest, all our arrests are all but guaranteed. And if not ours, anyone who has associated with us is also at chance for arrest.”

Yoshida paled. “How are you sure that even your collaborators could be arrested? Would they even know who they are?”

Akira crossed his arms. “People are very observant. If they have their suspicions, they will not hesitate in connecting the dots. At present, there would be no difference between being a phantom thief or an ally. The consequences of being either are the same, give or take. And harbouring knowledge of the phantom thieves but not turning it over to the police would likely be seen as treason.”

“If I’ve done anything to endanger you-”

“It’s nothing you’ve done. You didn’t even know until fairly recently. If anything, these circumstances are my fault. It was selfish of me to not widen or even maintain my distance. But...I wanted to go into this with as little unfinished business as humanly possible. Just in case.”

“I see…” Yoshida fell silent as he took in Akira’s present demeanor.

Yoshida always regarded Akira as a fairly composed person. Even when he dealt with the occasional hecklers in the crowd, Akira's defense of him always came off calm and collected, with an just a sprinkle of sass and snarkiness, but cool nonetheless.

Though Yoshida could tell he was trying hard to keep this composure from crumbling, he could see those normally gray eyes become hard as steel from his inner resolve. And that was enough to build Yoshida’s belief that whatever happened in the coming days, this would not be the end of the phantom thieves.

“Even now, while you’re brimming with uncertainty, I can feel your conviction coursing through you, your determination unwavering. I will still worry but I have no doubt that this plan of yours will be a success.”

Akira exhaled out a laugh. “It’s honestly comforting to get that vote of confidence.”

“I’m still lost on how my lessons in public speaking have aided you in your escapades, but it is incredibly humbling to know that they have been effective.”

“Because of you, the only thing sharper than my dagger is my tongue.”

Yoshida let out a hearty chuckle.

“I could spoil one part of our plan to you; talking my way out is actually the most crucial component of it. If I can’t talk my way out, we are truly done for.”

“Well may my teachings serve you well in your most dire time of need.”

Akira smiled. “Thank you, Yoshida-san, truly. For everything.”

“The best of luck to both of us, Akira. May our paths cross again.” Yoshida reached over the table and Akira did the same, the two of them sharing a firm handshake. 

**~XIX~**

Yoshida took advantage of this moment of respite to catch up on the news. His focus had solely been on campaigning and wasn’t too aware of what had been going on as of late. He was only able to catch bits and pieces from passersby or random gossip from around the office. He was saddened to learn that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had been arrested.

_“...talking my way out is actually the most crucial component of it.”_

Ah, Yoshida thought to himself, this plan was going to be executed during the interrogation then.

The police had a golden opportunity of sorts with having the leader in custody and would no doubt want to milk out as much information as possible. His team mates would still be considered “at large” and they wanted to know of any conspirators immediately. The sooner they could tie up loose ends, the better.

But Yoshida felt those efforts would soon be wasted. He believed as such. If Akira’s tongue was as sharp as he says, their goals would not be met and the phantom thieves' mission would be a success.

The next evening, Yoshida was in the station square campaigning and talking to the crowd when the next piece of news reached his ears.

_“Reports are coming in that the leader of the phantom thieves has committed suicide while in police custody.”_

Yoshida unintentionally trailed off in the middle of his speech, much to the confusion of the crowd and the concern of the rest of his team. This could likely be used as fuel against him, but in that moment, Yoshida could hardly give half a damn.

He continued to stare up at the large television screen in absolute shock. His train of thought had immediately derailed and felt that the ground had given away underneath him. 

_Was this another component of his plan? Or did his plan fail?_

Yoshida fought the urge to look to his side, to see if Akira was standing there, like he once did in the past. He wanted to scan the crowd to see if maybe the arrest, _the suicide_ , was a cruel figment of his imagination and Akira was actually there, blending in, listening, and silently supporting.

But he was nowhere to be found.

And that cruel part of his imagination stayed put as reality.

Remembering that he was in the middle of a speech Yoshida shook his head and apologized to the crowd, and tried to cut the tension with a bit of humor and wit. His charm had easily placated the crowd and they in turn had offered forgiveness, eager as ever to hear his next words.

If you asked Yoshida to give an encore of that speech, he’d be remiss to say that he didn’t recall a single part of it, moreso the second half. Yoshida hoped he hadn't said anything inflammatory, but the crowd appeared to be content and he didn’t feel anything sinister brewing in his heart. His team had praised him on a job well done and they all decided to disperse for the night.

However, Yoshida stayed in that spot in the square, continuing to watch the broadcast still stuck between utter shock and bitter denial.

The more he heard, the less it made sense to him.

_“If I can’t talk my way out, we are truly done for.”_

The dichotomy between his words and these actions was stark and unnerving. Akira's determination was palpable, almost infectious.

Unless that was just a mask. And _this_ was the original plan all along. 

Had that encounter been a call for help that he overlooked? Yoshida shuddered at the thought. His heart crumbled as it quickly became overcome with shame and then by guilt.

How could he claim, much less, _promise_ , to be looking out for the future, the youth of Japan, when he couldn’t even look out for one? Save one, even?

Was that just a lie he conjured up just to get people on his side? Was this all just an act of pure desperation to clear his name and turn over a new leaf in his political career? Perhaps this current persona was just a mask in itself, hiding his true self underneath.

Perhaps the No-Good-Tora persona never left after all.

**~XIX~**

Yoshida had come to terms. As the days ticked on and with still no word from Akira, he had jumped through all stages of grief and went straight to acceptance. That day had truly been the last day he would see Akira. He only wished it that it didn’t end the way it did; wishing that he could have said something different or helped more.

But it was far too late for regrets.

He was currently sitting in a diner having tea, early in the morning, watching two news casters give their opinions on the situation.

_“Perhaps the pressure weighed on him. Seeing as he failed his team as their leader.”_

_“The police struggled to get any information out of him. With no way out, he likely took his life to make sure all their secrets stay hidden.”_

Yoshida paused. Out of all the things he heard so far that didn’t make sense, this by far made the least amount of it.

He thought back to the day they last met. Despite the trepidation that was present, Akira was still fairly coolheaded about the fate that lied ahead of him. Not once did Yoshida get the feeling that he was crumbling under any pressure. Perhaps, deeper on the inside, the pressure was too great. But on the outside, Akira had been exuding this aura of great courage and resoluteness. While he was unsure of the outcome of the plan, Akira _believed_ in it. All of the phantom thieves believed in it. They wouldn’t be going through with it if they weren’t confident in it.

But why the need for such an extreme plan?

Yoshida then remembered his own words. The phantom thieves weren’t a poison but instead they had _been_ poisoned. By the true criminals.

That poison had got too close. With talks of going into another world, an arrest like this couldn't happen by normal or even natural means. There needed to be extra aid. The poison wore their mask well, leading them onto this road of inevitability; their downfall.

But the phantom thieves knew this, Akira knew this. They anticipated all of it. There was no way to avoid it. So their next best course of action was to take it in stride. They were going to go all in.

And they were going to talk their way out.

Yoshida knows well that words are a dynamic and powerful weapon. If genuine, it furthers people’s trust and belief in you. But if decorated with the intention to deceive, you can manipulate anyone to believe what you believe, see what you see. Deception was frighteningly easy in the world of politics. And as it would appear, it was doubly easy when you’re in the world of a phantom thief.

The exact method of it would be lost on Yoshida, but he praised it nonetheless. The phantom thieves had avoided ruin with a breathtaking form of grace while the masses were none the wiser, still firm in their belief that this was the start of phantom thieves’ demise. If he had that power on hand all those years ago, perhaps he would have departed with the name No-Good-Tora sooner rather than later.

But he’s not the wrong type of person.

Yoshida placed his payment on the table, stood up and left the diner, heading underground into the subway. As he waited for his train to arrive, he pulled out his phone. Further encouraged by the ‘online’ status next to Akira’s profile, Yoshida pulled up their chat window and began to type.

**Yoshida: The Phantom Thieves have been on the news recently so…**

**Yoshida: I was wondering how you’re doing?**

Yoshida’s phone buzzed about half an hour later while he was on the train

**Akira: Just fine actually.**

**Akira: No problems here.**

Yoshida nearly let his phone slip out of his hands as relief coursed through him.

**Yoshida: So you’re okay? That’s a relief.**

**Akira: There are still things to do. We aren’t backing down yet.**

**Yoshida: I’m especially relieved to hear that.**

**Yoshida: I suspect great things are on the horizon for the Phantom Thieves.**

**Akira: Your lessons in how to speak have paid off.**

**Akira: And they will continue to, especially in the coming days.**

**Yoshida: If you need anything, I’m happy to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out.**

**Akira: Will do. Thanks for your continued support.**

**Yoshida: You sound like a politician already.**

**Akira: Do I? Hopefully the good kind then.** ****

**Yoshida: I can't see you being anything less.**

Yoshida smiled as the walked up the steps. His smile grew wider once he got to the station square. The cool morning sun greeted him and reassured his optimism; days of gold were truly ahead for those who desired and were guaranteed for those who commanded it.

He laughed heartily, overcome with joy and hope. His laughter was carried by the wind and it quickly caught the attention of the morning crowd. Soon enough a crowd of people who had a moment to spare gathered around him once more, ready to be enchanted.

Yoshida took a moment to acknowledge that it should be Akira here in his place, captivating a crowd as he laid out his promises for a brighter, more just future, all while dazzling the masses with his infallible yet subtle charm.

Akira would be the perfect candidate; his words, while sometimes few, always came from such a genuine heart and a just mind. If their meetings had sparked a desire in him to go into politics, Akira absolutely had Yoshida's endorsement.

Once he was done with his impromptu speech and after the crowd had fully dispersed, Yoshida took a few steps forward, turned around and then bowed in the direction of where he was just standing, making a silent vow.

Akira _is_ the perfect candidate. So without further hesitation and renewed conviction, Yoshida placed all of his belief in him. Yoshida was now certain that he and the phantom thieves would successfully accomplish their goals.

The goal of a brighter and more just future for all.


	11. Temperance

**~XIV~**

Akira was sleeping...again.

Normally Kawakami didn’t mind, she granted these moments to slack off for a reason. He was free to use them however he wished. But she couldn't help but feel that it was a stark difference from him propping up books so he can read, craft tools, or other times he admirably studied independently. Sleeping was once in a blue moon occurrence and it was understandable. Kawakami imagined that balancing phantom thievery and high school responsibilities could absolutely get exhausting, she could even relate in a way when she thought back to her days of being a maid.

But that once in a blue moon had become once every other moon. There were times when Kawakami could tell Akira was ready to slam his head into the desk and sleep the school day away. Out of sympathy and if there was enough wiggle room, she would abandon whatever lesson plan she had for the day and make her class a review day, thus granting him more time to slack off.

Then it became once every moon. Whether it was time to slack off or not, she would often find Akira dozing off or halfway doing so. And Kawakami was sure when she made those faux announcements to pull his other teachers out of class, he slept during those times too.

It was getting concerning. And as his teacher, she couldn’t let that go unchecked.

Yet despite that all, Akira still seemed to remain on top of things school wise. Even dozed off, he still seemed to be close enough to consciousness that he would be aware of his surroundings. Kawakami wondered if that cat who accompanied him had anything to do with that. There were times she could make out faint meows coming from his direction and that usually brought him back to full awareness, albeit temporarily.

What helped settle her worries further was, in her personal experience, whenever Kawakami called on him to answer her questions, he always answered them correctly. There had even been an occasion or two where he even walked Ann through a question to help her find the correct answer. On top of that, she hadn’t heard any complaints from his other teachers so it was safe to say it was the same situation in those classes as well.

Kawakami was tempted to shrug her shoulders and leave it be. On paper there wasn't really anything wrong. But she wanted to keep her promise. She would look out for Akira for as long as it was needed. She outright refused to have a repeat of Takase happen again. That was her promise to _him_.

One afternoon, she managed to catch Akira during lunchtime in the classroom. He was sitting at his desk and was idly eating his meal while thumbing away at his phone.

“Kurusu-kun, I need to talk to you. Please come to the guidance office after school?”

Akira’s face fell. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Kawakami smiled reassuringly. “Not at all! Just a...mental health check.”

Akira frowned and raised a brow. “I thought going to Dr. Maruki took care of that?”

Kawakami exhaled, hoping the words she said next wouldn’t end up being too obvious to the curious ears that were nearby. “I also want to make sure you are on track to _master_ the subjects that will be on your entrance exams. _Are you doing okay,_ so far?”

Kawakami prayed that Akira, despite being exhausted, was still sharp enough to pick up what she was actually trying to say. Even though it was subtle, she was still nervous saying it all out loud and would be mortified if she had to specify further.

Thankfully whatever god was listening decided to be merciful.

“Yeah, sure I could use some extra help. I’ll stop by after class.”

“Perfect! No rush though, I’ll be staying late anyway.”

Akira nodded with a smile. “Sounds good. Thank you for... _providing your services_.”

_Damn him._

**~XIV~**

After the final bell, Kawakami gathered her work and went to the guidance office. She sat down at one of the tables and pulled out some sheets to grade. A little over an hour passed until Kawakami heard the door turning and looked up to see Akira walking in.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting. I needed to run a quick errand.”

“It’s no problem at all, Akira. Take a seat.” She stood up and walked over to the door and locked it. While it’d be suspicious, it would be riskier if someone walked in on them while they were having what she was sure was going to be a confidential conversation. If her hunch was correct, whatever was said here couldn’t be heard by outside ears. The _wrong_ ears to be exact.

“How’s Becky doing?” Akira asked as Kawakami sat down.

“Becky’s doing amazing, master! But I didn’t call you here because I needed something.” Kawakami frowned a little. “I actually wanted to know if my Master was doing okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well you’ve been falling asleep a lot more often in my class and likely in your other classes too. Don’t worry you’re not in trouble, your other teachers haven’t complained or anything so they probably didn’t notice.”

Akira breathed out a sigh of relief.

“You said you’d take better care of yourself, but you can’t do that if you’re not sleeping properly. So what’s been going on?”

Akira sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck “Sorry, I’ve...been having trouble falling asleep.”

Kawakami shook her head. “No, no don’t apologize. Like I said, you’re not in trouble. I’m just concerned.”

“Things have been pretty busy lately since the phantom thieves became the most wanted criminal group in Japan.”

Now that he mentioned it, Kawakami did notice that even Akira’s friends looked fairly fatigued as well. She didn’t think much of it when it came to Haru, given recent events, but she had noticed Ann seemed to be a little less focused and wasn’t as bubbly as she normally was. The hallways were exponentially quieter without Ryuji’s outbursts. She couldn’t exactly place why Mishima looked tired but she immediately ruled out anything phantom thief related. He and Akira very rarely interacted and when they did it was fleeting and brief. Makoto was relatively the same except she looked unusually guarded. As if she was anticipating something.

Were they all anticipating something?

“Stressed?” Kawakami asked.

Akira rolled his neck. “To say the least.”

“Remember, even though I left my maid job, you can still call me if you want housework done or need a massage. Even now I can tell how stiff your muscles are. If you keep going like this, you’re going to break before you execute whatever plan you have brewing.”

“How do you know we’re planning anything?”

Kawakami smiled deviously. “Last I recall it was my Master who was encouraging me and telling me to never give up no matter how dire things looked. You told me to believe and I did. That’s not going to stop.” Kawakami paused. “I know the phantom thieves aren’t going to take all this lying down. I can still see the fire behind those tired eyes.”

Akira laughed lightly. “Sometimes Becky catches her Master off guard.”

Kawakami smiled warmly before her face dropped to a more serious expression. “Seriously though, Akira. _Please_ be careful. The phantom thieves didn’t kill anyone but that means someone else did. And whoever that person is, it's someone extremely dangerous.”

“We know...and they’re going to come after us soon enough too.”

“Akira-!”

“But as you correctly said earlier, we have a plan. It’s our riskiest one yet and there’s no guarantee it’ll work...but it’s all we have. If we pull it off without a hitch, we’ll be out of their crosshairs, at the very least for a little while.”

“I see..” Kawakami turned her head away, looking down at the ground. “What...what....happens if it doesn’t work?”

Akira leaned back in his chair. “Then...it’s game over.”

“Game over...” Kawakami muttered, almost in disbelief. “That’s...not going to happen though, right?”

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't.”

“Isn't there anything I can do to help you? I would hate for something to happen to you and I couldn’t do anything. I wouldn’t want to fail you like I failed...”

“Takase wasn’t your fault, remember? Don’t make me punish you for forgetting.” Akira playfully chastised. It had the desired effect, causing Kawkami to laugh softly. 

“Right, sorry.” Kawakami sniffled and wiped her eyes.

Akira stood up and walked over to Kawakami. He knelt down in front of her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “My story won’t end the same way Takase did, I promise.” He smiled. “Though since you asked, there is one thing you can do for me.”

She looked at him. “What’s that?”

“Believe in me.”

Kawakami smiled and nodded. There was a pause before Kawakami’s composure shifted. “Meoooow! Anything for my Master! ❤”

Akira stood back up and laughed. “You know you don’t have to do that around me anymore, right? You can just be yourself.”

“Oddly enough, it’s actually become quite therapeutic.”

“Oh? Maybe you should suggest it to Dr. Maruki?”

Kawakami's cheeks immediately turned red. “Absolutely not!” After rubbing her cheeks, she stood up and straightened out her skirt. “Alright, I’ve kept you here long enough. I’m sure you still have a lot to do so you’re free to go now.”

Akira shrugged. “I was actually able to shift some things around so I’m fairly free for the rest of the day. Can I treat you to something?”

“Oh! Well I still have a little work to do so I’m going to be staying here for a bit longer.”

“If you’re not busy or too tired, can I call you over later on? Not to do anything for me, but I can at least treat you to some curry.”

“That’d be nice.”

**~XIV~**

The days continued to stagger on. People were either dealing with the flu, regular everyday stresses, or keeping up with the ever intensifying coverage of the phantom thieves. The police were going to make their move soon and everyone was anxious to see how the phantom thieves would finally be taken off the streets.

Speaking of, there seemed to be a shift in attitude and mentality of the phantom thieves. From what Kawakami could see, any fatigue they had seemed to have just melted away overnight. They were back to their relatively upbeat selves. Akira, especially, had perked up and was laser focused. 

Even though it was nice to see everyone get their groove back, Kawakami couldn’t help but feel unnerved by it all. But if she were to call him out again, it would no doubt draw attention and it wouldn’t help his already fragile reputation.

So instead she just watched him, quietly observing, looking for even the smallest fragment of something being wrong. So far, all seemed okay.

Until one day, where she saw him walk out of school with a slight sense of urgency. Kawakami oddly felt a familiar sense of dread rumble in her stomach. 

And that spiked her anxiety even further.

Instead of going straight home, she wandered around Shibuya. No matter how much she walked around, she couldn’t shake off her nerves. And even after watching a movie, the sense of dread persisted. As she exited the movie theater, she pulled her phone out and opened their chat window.

**Kawakami: Are you free to talk?**

**Akira: Yeah, something wrong?**

**Kawakami: I wanted to make sure that you were okay.**

**Kawakami: You left school in a bit of a rush.**

**Akira: I had...a meeting to attend.**

That would explain it, she supposed.

**Kawakami: I see.**

But she still felt like there was more to it.

**Kawakami: Can I...come see you?**

**Akira: Tomorrow’s a big day so I plan on going to sleep soon.**

The sense of dread intensified further and with it her anxiety spiked. She suddenly had the urge to see him.

_One last time?_

**Kawakami: If you can hold out for a bit, I can come by and give you a massage.** ********

**Kawakami: Since you’ve been having trouble falling asleep it could relax you further.**

**Kawakami: I’m in Shibuya and my apartment is nearby so I can pick up my uniform and be there within the hour, if not sooner.**

A few minutes went by before she got a response.

**Akira: I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.**

**Akira: Thank you.**

Kawakami nodded to herself and turned to head home. Once she freshened herself up, she grabbed her maid uniform and tucked it into her bag. When she got to Yongen-Jaya, she made her way to the backstreets. After changing in the bath house nearby (which had been thankfully empty), she texted Akira that she was outside Leblanc.

“Good evening master! Thank you so much for waiting!” Kawakami greeted him, taking a hold of her skirt and bowed.

“Good evening, Becky.” Akira let her in and closed the door, making sure it was locked and the sign was flipped to closed. The pair then went upstairs and Akira went to his bed, flopping down to lay on his stomach. He bought his arms to rest underneath his head as a makeshift pillow. Once he was comfortable, Kawakami kneeled on the mattress and began to massage his back.

“How’s the pressure, master?”

Akira breathed in and exhaled deeply, his body going limp. “Just...fine…”

Kawakami continued her motions, applying the appropriate pressure in tenser areas and kneading out any knots she found. She did so until she noticed that Akira’s breathing had become even, slow and deep.

Kawakami smiled and got off the bed. She grabbed the discarded sheets and placed it on his slumbering body. Before she headed down to leave, she stood by his bed and watched him sleep for a moment. She reached over, carding her hands through his hair and scratched his scalp.

“I...can't lose you too, okay Akira? You promised me.”

**~XIV~**

Kawakami had to work almost triple time in order to keep the attention of the student body. Everyone had been abuzz with the latest news of the phantom thieves. Last night, the leader had been arrested and was in police custody. It was all anyone wanted to talk about. But she had to pull them together.

Though it was hard for Kawakami to keep the student body together when she could barely keep herself together.

A million questions filled her head, each of them looking for, if not outright demanding, a satisfactory answer. But even as she found answers, the question would then change and new ones would branch off of them.

The teachers had found it peculiar that Akira had been absent and Kawakami hoped they wouldn’t find it coincidental that he wasn’t here the morning after the leader of the phantom thieves had been arrested. She already overheard some students theorizing as such.

Fortunately, Ushimaru chalked it up to “typical (non-specific) delinquency” and the others didn’t seem too bothered by it and didn’t question it further.

Later that day, after classes had concluded, Kawakami was at the diner in Shibuya compiling review sheets when she got the next bit of news.

_“Reports are coming in that the leader of the phantom thieves has commited suicide while in police custody.”_

Kawakami's pen nearly tore a hole in her paper from the sudden force. She stared at the television in pure shock, jaw agape.

“That’s...impossible,” she muttered to himself. She started breathing heavier and heavier as the news sank in further and further.

Before she could properly think it through, she pulled out her phone and with shaky hands and pulled up their chat window. The sight that greeted her turned that sense of dread into a boulder of anxiety.

**Akira: *Offline 22 hours***

_“...what....happens if it doesn’t work?”_

_“Then...it’s game over.”_

Kawakami’s heart thumped in her chest. She promised to protect him, _to look out for him,_ and she had failed. _Again._

Had his lethargic state been a sign and his shift to an upbeat attitude been a mask he had donned to wade off suspicion? Was she looking for the wrong kind of red flags? Kawakami began to think back on everything; his words, his attitude, his demeanour and chastised herself for not seeing the signs sooner.

There was no way she could keep her role as a teacher. Not after this.

Kawakami didn’t know when she had left the diner but she suddenly found herself in front of her apartment door. As she made her way to her bedroom, she spotted her maid uniform hanging on the closet door nearby.

She wanted to burn it. It held too many memories that were now too painful to remember.

Despite the knots in her stomach and the restless state of her mind, sleep oddly came easy to Kawakami that night. Perhaps her body and mind were just eager to feel the relieving numbness that sleep always brought.

As she closed her eyes, she had a final thought.

She mused on the idea of Akira and Takase meeting in paradise and hoped that they could possibly get along.

That hope aided in putting her aching heart at ease.

Kawakami was startled out of her dreamless sleep with the shrill ringing of her cell phone. After fumbling around, she got a hold of her phone and answered. It had been Akira’s guardian, Sojiro Sakura, calling to inform her that Akira had returned home to tend to a family emergency.

That had been the spark Kawakami needed to fully wake up.

She tried to ask more questions, to ask if he was okay, but Sojiro kept it frustratingly succinct, saying it was a private matter and that he would keep her updated if anything changes. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Kawakami gently tossed her phone on the bed. Her dread had morphed into disbelief.

Now _this_ was coincidental.

The leader of the phantom thieves dies and Akira is back home to attend to family matters?

Did she have her facts backwards? No...she had them right. She believed...

It was safe to say that Kawakami has been thoroughly confused.

But she wouldn’t find answers laying in bed.

**~XIV~**

After relaying the message from Sojiro to her homeroom class, Kawakami then proceeded to turn her class into a study hall. It was easily excused, seeing as finals were a handful of weeks away. Rather than making it a review day, she left her students to their own devices. Some decided to study anyway or catch up on other class work while others talked amongst themselves or napped. Kawakami took the time to slack off and let her mind wander, hoping to find answers to her near bottomless pit of questions.

As the day went on, Kawakami noticed that despite the circumstances, Akira's friends appeared to be rather nonchalant about everything. Ann was all smiles as she flittered around like the social butterfly that she was. Haru was in much better spirits, probably the best she's been in a while. Ryuji was back to his boisterous self, and Makoto even seemed oddly lax. Mishima seemed especially motivated as he typed away on his laptop.

Even Kawakami could feel felt her dread and anxiety mysteriously slipping away. She hadn’t arrived at a concrete answer yet but her gut seemed to.

And there was only one way to figure out if it was right.

As she walked back to her classroom after lunch, she pulled out her phone and checked his profile.

**Akira: *Offline: 2 hours***

Akira was online, _recently_ online.

Part of her wanted to jump for joy but the thought was stifled when she remembered that she was still in the middle of a hallway. Moreover, that ever persistent worry in her mind stopped her fingers right before they hit the keyboard.

Rather than text him right away, she figured he likely needed rest. Whatever they had done, especially how they did it, likely zapped every bit of energy he had in him. If she were to come by now, she wouldn’t be surprised to find him passed out dead to the world-

_Oh._

Everything finally fell in place for Kawakami as she realized the illusion the phantom thieves had created. _Successfully_ created.

On paper, the leader was dead and the phantom thieves were finished, a dark blot in Japanese and possibly world history.

But in reality?

_“That’s...not going to happen though, right?”_

_“I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't.”_

Their demise had been avoided and their counter-attack had been launched.

Kawakami had to give him this; whenever Akira makes a promise, he will keep it, even fight tooth and nail to do so. Even when his life on the line, he was determined to see his promise to her through. And he only wished for one thing in return.

_“Believe in me.”_

And she dared to disobey him by going against his one specific wish?

Becky hoped Master could forgive her.

With a satisfied smile, she opened the door to her classroom.

The next morning, after finishing her breakfast, she texted him.

**Kawakami: I announced during homeroom that you went home but…**

**Kawakami: Are you okay?**

**Akira: I am, thanks.**

Kawakami cheered silently to herself.

**Kawakami: You’re alive!**

**Kawakami: I was so confused.**

**Kawakami: I hope you can forgive me for not believing in you, Master.**

**Akira: No worries. I kind of made it hard for you to do so, huh?**

**Kawakami: Very much, but I eventually came around!**

**Kawakami: Never give up. Always believe, no matter how dire the situation.**

**Kawakami: Becky promises she won’t forget next time!**

**Akira: Good girl.**

**Kawakami: I’m so glad you’re safe.**

**Kawakami: And don’t worry about school! Just take care of yourself. 🤍**

**Kawakami: I’ll come by to check on you, so you BETTER take care of yourself!**

**Akira: Meoww~yes Master. ❤**

Kawakami stifled a groan as she set her phone down. But her annoyance was half-hearted as it was quickly replaced by amusement with the arrival of his second message, agreeing that yes _this_ was oddly therapeutic.

Kawakami may not have understood everything about Akira and the phantom thieves but she knew that she wouldn't be where she is now without them. It was her belief in him that allowed her to overcome her hardships and she came out a better teacher, a better person for it. And while she wanted to express her gratitude, Akira didn't ask for it nor did he need it. Her happiness was all he needed to see to feel content. And that notion filled Kawakami with warmth and made her heart flutter.

So if believing in him was all he wished for in return, then so be it.

It was the least she could do for her master. ❤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: as I was writing out the end of this chapter I wondered what Akira's maid name would be. I wanted it to rhyme with "Becky" so my mind immediately said "Akechy" and I choked on my water for a few minutes :')
> 
> Thanks for reading! :3


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